It’s well known by now (or at least it should be) that the title track and first single off of Mannequin Pussy’s latest album, I Got Heaven, is a song that stops you in your tracks. It takes control of you, conjuring up an amalgamation of emotions that may have been lying dormant below the surface.
With their 2019 album Patience, Mannequin Pussy demanded people’s attention in the same way they do at the start of I Got Heaven. The album, that lead singer Marissa Dabice described as “very obviously a breakup album,” is chalk full of heartbreak and candid confessions that exhibited the band’s ability to convey a level of raw honesty that very few artists are able to achieve.
What sets Mannequin Pussy apart in their vulnerability is that they let it bleed even when it isn’t pretty, even when the emotions they are conveying can feel a little embarrassing to reveal. Their honesty doesn’t serve an aesthetic, and is without the intention of eliciting a specific reaction – it’s undeniably sincere. So comes, I Got Heaven, which possesses the same level of vulnerability that has become inherently characteristic of Mannequin Pussy’s music. But that’s not to say that the band has become stagnant in any way.
The band shows up on this album fully formed, possessing a masterfulness in their songwriting and lyricism that has yet to be seen. There’s a maturity not only in the merit of the music alone, but also in the self assurance that pervades every aspect of the album. Where Patience serves as an album to render a broken heart, I Got Heaven is a dive into the intimate confines of one’s thoughts and desires. Where the self, as well as the world around them, can be explored.
Sonically, and within the overall flow of the album, the band achieves a perfect equilibrium between heavy and light, aggressive and tender. Dreamy guitar tones when met with the tasteful addition of synth and Dabice’s breathy vocals, on songs such as “I Don’t Know You” and “Nothing Like,” create an escape from the aggravation that elicits the full body shouts and adrenaline rushing tempos on songs like “OK?OK!OK?OK!” and “Aching.”
The intricate details are what speak for the band’s newfound level of maturity, yet the more obvious achievements in their ability to deliver catchy hooks and choruses that keep listeners craving more, is not to be overlooked as a testament to this artistry found on the album.
I Got Heaven is a testament to Mannequin Pussy’s aspirational level of growth that came without the cost of their passion and sincerity – leaving room for them to be a bit messy, a little scared, and extremely honest – all in the best sense of those words.
Listen to I Got Heaven here.
