I Got Heaven | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 1, 2024 | |||
Recorded | March 2023 | |||
Studio | Steakhouse Studios, Los Angeles, California, US | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 30:05 | |||
Label | Epitaph | |||
Producer | John Congleton | |||
Mannequin Pussy chronology | ||||
|
"Patience was the aftermath of intense heartache. I Got Heaven is the longing for something new and exciting. There's a pervasive feeling of longing and horniness to it."
Contents
I Got Heaven is the fourth studio album by American rock band Mannequin Pussy, released on March 1, 2024, through Epitaph Records. The album eschews the band's previous focus on love songs and political themes [3] to explore issues related to personal relationships, religious themes, and emotions related to aging, [4] [5] inspired by art films, a break-up, and pigs. [6] [7] It was helmed by record producer John Congleton who approached the band to collaborate. [6] The album was promoted with further live performances and single and music video releases. [8] [9] [10] It has received positive reviews from critics.
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 8.4/10 [11] |
Metacritic | 89/100 [12] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Beats Per Minute | 87% [13] |
DIY | [14] |
Kerrang! | 4/5 [15] |
The Line of Best Fit | 8/10 [9] |
Paste | 8.2/10 [16] |
Pitchfork | 8.8/10 [17] |
Rolling Stone | [18] |
Slant Magazine | [19] |
The Skinny | [20] |
Under the Radar | 8.5/10 [21] |
Editors at review aggregator AnyDecentMusic? scored this album an 8.4 out of 10, based on 15 critics' scores. [11] According to the review aggregator Metacritic , I Got Heaven received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 89 out of 100 from 14 critic scores. [12]
Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4.5 out of 5 stars, with critic Matt Collar writing "What if you could turn [being crushed by desire] outward, like a superpower?" and continued that this is "the palpable feeling running through... the blisteringly romantic and forceful fourth album from the Philly indie punk outfit Mannequin Pussy". [22] In Dork , Kelsy McClure rated this album 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "another stellar release from Mannequin Pussy" that "feels like a living breathing thing". [23] An interview with vocalist Marisa Dabice in The Fader , David Renshaw called this an "excellent" exploration of aging and a "collection of songs that rage and soothe in equal measure". [4] In Kerrang! , Emma Wilkes rated I Got Heaven 4 out of 5 for being "punk at its most multifaceted and emotional, overflowing with desire and angst". [15] Hayden Merrick of Loud and Quiet rated this album an 8 out of 10, writing that the band "has never sounded so red-hot and dynamic" due to John Congleton's production and characterized this as "a record acutely focused on impermanence". [24] Elliott Burr of The Line of Best Fit scored I Got Heaven an 8 out of 10, praising Epitaph for allowing the band to express a 1990s alternative rock-influenced work that gives the band the opportunity to grow their audience. [9] John Murphy of musicOMH scored this album 4 out of 5 stars, writing that it "never overstays its welcome" with "thrillingly visceral music that could bring Mannequin Pussy ever closer to crossover success". [25]
In a profile for The New York Times , critic Marissa Lorusso called this music "10 tracks of defiant punk, buoyant power-pop and fuzzed-out rock anchored by [vocalist Marisa] Dabice's bold, often confrontational lyrics". [26] Paste published a feature on Mannequin Pussy where Devon Chodzin praised the band's growth since their debut and how this release shows a variety of styles [27] and the editors chose this as a Paste Pick where Victoria Wasylak scored it an 8.2 out of 10, characterizing it as "a collection of trenchant, pliable punk rock". [16] Dan DeLuca in The Philadelphia Inquirer called this the band's best album yet and "their most compelling work". [28] Editorial staff at Pitchfork chosen this for Best New Music and critic Sadie Sartini Garner rated it an 8.8 out of 10, calling it "an essential, wide-ranging record that's mouthy, messy, and self-assured" that mixes hardcore punk and pop music. [17] At PopMatters , Brian Stout rated I Got Heaven an 8 out of 10, calling it "the sound of a group that have fully clicked and have fine-tuned their signature sound into another high point"; [29] the site published a second review from Brandon Miller that was a 9 out of 10, where Miller states that this release "has a little bit for everyone", mixing pop and punk sounds. [30]
In Rolling Stone , Maya Georgi called this album "a perfect mix of rage and longing" and praised the "lyrical prowess" on display. [18] Writing for The Skinny , Tony Inglis scored I Got Heaven 5 out of 5 stars, writing that "the band's universal howl looks for a split in the darkness" as it mixes tenderness with dangerous circumstances in the lyrics and that it "ends with yearning and a desire for tenderness touched by the realisation that the world never quite lets you sink your teeth into it". [20] Slant Magazine 's Nick Seip gave this release 4 out of 5 stars for being "a balance of firebrand punk and intoxicating power pop" and "a musical expression of self-governance and all the pain and pleasure that comes with it". [19] Spin 's Matthew Neale scored I Got Heaven a B+, stating that some of the "diaristic... lovelorn charisma" in the band's previous music has been lost, but this is "a formidable document of their fire and fury—and one that's needed more than ever". [31] Caleb Campbell of Under the Radar gave I Got Heaven an 8.5 out of 10, stating that it "perhaps signifies a more settled disposition for Mannequin Pussy, offering a synthesis of what came before and a hint of what comes after". [21] Vulture published a profile of Mannequin Pussy where Quinn Moreland called this release "something extraordinary". [32]
A review of the best albums of the first quarter of 2024 by BrooklynVegan saw Andrew Sacher calling this work "a record inspired by living with your loneliness and solitude and really getting to know yourself, and all the ups and downs and indecisiveness and contradictions that come along with that". [33] At Consequence of Sound , a roundup of the favorite albums of March 2024 included this choice by Paolo Ragusa who stated that "tracking [Mannequin Pussy's] evolution... to this month's I Got Heaven is remarkable, because they've transformed into one of the very best rock bands around today, and their use of space and dynamics is wildly impressive" [34] and on June 4, the site collected the best albums of the year so far, ranking this at 10 and Ben Kaye called the music "the thrashing, uncertain, self-aware hubris of longing". [35] A May 1 review of the best music of 2024 from Pitchfork included this album. [36] In a May 31 roundup of the best albums of the year, editors at Exclaim! ranked this 5, comparing the music to "a wild animal with an uncontrollable bloodlust, listening to it feels like licking a fresh, open wound clean". [37] A June 3 roundup of the best albums of the year in Spin included I Got Heaven where Josh Chesler called it the band's "most diverse, complicated, messy and (arguably) meaningful" work. [38] On June 4, Stereogum did a roundup of the best albums of the year so far and ranked this 6, with Danielle Chelosky stating that it "is a portrait of yearning". [39] Staff at Billboard compiled a similar list on June 17 and Frank DiGiacomo included I Got Heaven, calling it a "fanged earworm of an album". [40]
Prior to the album release, the title track received positive reviews. Editors at Pitchfork declared this one of the Best New Tracks and critic Nina Corcoran praised the combination of power pop and punk rock with the "song's abrasive verses yield[ing] to a sugary power-pop chorus—the combination of lush vocal harmonies and fuzzy guitar riffs recalling '90s acts like that dog. or Belly—it's akin to pressing your face against the air conditioner during a heat wave". [41] At Stereogum , Tom Breihan called the track "a revved-up anthem that moves from stomp-scream fuzz-rock fury to twinkly shoegaze melody and back again" and compared its lyrics to Patti Smith. [42] The title track was nominated for the Best Punk Record award at the 2024 Libera Awards. [43]
Publication/critic | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Exclaim! | 50 Best Albums of 2024 | 6 | [44] |
Rough Trade UK | Albums of the Year 2024 | 67 | [45] |
Time Out | The Best Albums of 2024 | 9 | [46] |
All lyrics are written by Marisa Dabice; all music is composed by Mannequin Pussy and John Congleton.
Mannequin Pussy
Additional personnel
I Got Heaven entered the UK Album Sales Chart, peaking at #96, as well as the UK Album Downloads Chart (peaking at #39), the UK Record Store Chart (peaked at #36), the UK Independent Albums Chart (peaked at #31), and the UK Independent Album Breakers Chart (peaked at #10). [47]
Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of Deryck Whibley, Dave Baksh, Jason McCaslin, Tom Thacker, and Frank Zummo.
Pop-punk is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes. It is distinguished from other punk-variant genres by drawing more heavily from 1960s bands such as the Beatles, the Kinks, and the Beach Boys. The genre has evolved throughout its history, absorbing elements from new wave, college rock, ska, hip hop, emo, boy band pop and even hardcore punk. It is sometimes considered interchangeable with power pop and skate punk.
Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, that originated in the late 1980s. Metalcore is noted for its use of breakdowns, which are slow, intense passages conducive to moshing, while other defining instrumentation includes heavy guitar riffs often utilizing percussive pedal tones and double bass drumming. Vocalists in the genre typically perform screaming; more popular bands often combine this with the use of standard singing, usually during the bridge or chorus of a song. However, the death growl is also a popular technique within the genre.
The Walkmen is an American rock band formed in New York City in 2000. The band consists of Hamilton Leithauser (vocals), Paul Maroon, Walter Martin, Peter Matthew Bauer and Matt Barrick (drums) - all former members of Jonathan Fire*Eater and the Recoys.
Bring Me the Horizon are a British rock band, formed in Sheffield in 2004. The group currently consists of lead vocalist Oli Sykes, drummer Matt Nicholls, guitarist Lee Malia and bassist Matt Kean. They are signed to RCA Records globally and Columbia Records exclusively in the United States.
Romantic is the second studio album by American punk rock band Mannequin Pussy.
There Is a Hell Believe Me I've Seen It. There Is a Heaven Let's Keep It a Secret. is the third studio album by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. It was released on 4 October 2010 by Visible Noise. The album was produced by Fredrik Nordström and Henrick Udd at IF Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden, with additional work at Sunset Lodge Studios in Los Angeles, California. It features guest vocals from Canadian singer Lights, British singer Josh Franceschi, and American vocalist Josh Scogin.
Radiosurgery is the seventh studio album by American rock band New Found Glory. It was first released on October 3, 2011, in Europe, before its US release on October 4 through independent label Epitaph Records. It is the band's final studio album to feature founding guitarist Steve Klein. To follow up predecessor Not Without a Fight (2009), the band began writing new material during their stint on the 2010 Honda Civic Tour. After self-producing a set of demos and contacting long-term record producer Neal Avron, the band went on to record the album in Avron's home recording studio over a period of three months in 2011. The quintet set out to write an album that paid homage to classic punk rock records that first inspired them to form a band during the 1990s. Listening extensively to the likes of early Green Day and Ramones, New Found Glory strove to create a sound that could "bridge the gap" between old and new generations of the genre.
On the Impossible Past is the third studio album by American punk rock band The Menzingers. It was released by Epitaph Records on February 21, 2012. The album was met with widespread acclaim by music critics, with the aggregating website Metacritic calculating an average score of 93 out of 100.
Colour Blind is the second studio album by Canadian rock band Seaway and follow-up to 2013's Hoser.
Waterparks is an American pop rock band formed in Houston, Texas in 2011. The group currently consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Awsten Knight, backing vocalist and lead guitarist Geoff Wigington, and backing vocalist and drummer Otto Wood.
Mannequin Pussy is an American punk and indie rock band from Philadelphia, formed in 2010. The band currently consists of Marisa "Missy" Dabice, Kaleen Reading (drums), Colins "Bear" Regisford and Maxine Steen (guitar). During live performances, the band are joined by multi-instrumentalist Carolyn Haynes.
Sister Cities is the sixth studio album by American rock band the Wonder Years.
Nine is the eighth studio album by American rock band Blink-182, released on September 20, 2019, through Columbia Records, as the band's first album on the label. The band began developing the album after fulfilling touring obligations for their previous release, California (2016). While producer John Feldmann returned from the previous album, Nine also utilizes additional outside producers and songwriters including Captain Cuts, the Futuristics, and Tim Pagnotta. It is the band's second and final album to involve both Feldmann and guitarist/vocalist Matt Skiba.
Angel Dust is an American rock group formed in Baltimore, Maryland in 2013, made up of members of Turnstile and Trapped Under Ice. They have released five studio albums to date; the most recent, Brand New Soul, was released in September 2023. The band have been signed to Roadrunner Records since 2018. In 2019, Billboard noted them as one of the most important bands in broadening the scope of what hardcore punk is. Kerrang! included their 2019 album Pretty Buff as one of their "25 Best Albums of 2019" and Loudwire named it one of the 50 best metal albums of 2019.
OK Human is the fourteenth studio album by American rock band Weezer, released on January 29, 2021 by Crush Music and Atlantic Records. Featuring a baroque-pop influenced sound, inspired by albums such as Harry Nilsson's Nilsson Sings Newman (1970) and the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (1966), the album was recorded entirely with analogue equipment and features a 38-piece orchestra. The album was preceded by the lead single "All My Favorite Songs", released on January 21, 2021. The album received generally positive reviews from critics. OK Human is the first of two Weezer albums to be released in 2021, followed only four months later by Van Weezer.
Patience is the third album by punk rock quartet Mannequin Pussy, released in June 2019 by Epitaph Records.
Perfect is the second EP by punk rock trio Mannequin Pussy, released through Epitaph Records in May 2021. It sees Will Yip returning as producer and engineer after working on their 2019 album Patience.
Mannequin Pussy is the debut full-length studio album by American punk rock band Mannequin Pussy.
Heaven :x: Hell is the eighth and final studio album by Canadian rock band Sum 41, released on March 29, 2024, through Rise Records. A double album, Heaven :x: Hell is divided into two discs; the first disc, Heaven, features a return to the pop-punk style of the band's early career, while the second disc, Hell, follows the heavy metal sound the band pursued in subsequent years. It is their only release on Rise, having departed from independent label Hopeless Records in 2023.