Hot Milk - A CALL TO THE VOID (Album Review)
Hot Milk- A CALL TO THE VOID
Released: August 25th, 2023
Lineup:
Hannah Mee // Lead Vocals and Rhythm Guitar
Jim Shaw // Lead Vocals and Guitar
Tom Paton // Bass
Harry Deller // Drums
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It’s been a long time coming for this band's debut album, but on Friday, it finally arrives in the form of A CALL TO THE VOID; an exploration of the mainly self-produced and always ever-evolving journey it has taken them to arrive at this very important destination. After three EPs and extensive declaration of their funky and refreshing expression, the album culminates as a portfolio of Hot Milk’s identity, and one that is unashamedly themselves.
Beginning with an ambient and consuming introduction in the form of ‘Welcome To The…’ the group ensures you are fully immersed in the experience, captured in echoes and ringing. Unintrusive but commanding, it leads captivatingly to the first full-length track, ‘Horror Show’. Immediately, what is palpable is the band’s sense of character, communicated heavily through both vocals and instrumentals. From quirky riffs and unexpected inclusions of random sounds, nothing is played safe, but is instead a bustling collection of fragmented pieces that somehow just work with the glue that is Hot Milk. From start to finish, ‘Horror Show’ is overflowing with energy, and is a more than suitable ‘opener’ for the album. Moreso, it truly prepares for the eclectic and jolty mix of sounds to be explored- a perfect homage to the construction of the album, situated around the jolty feeling our brain summons upon us in moments of dire necessity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBZ84gQlBtc
In many moments, HM shows their duality, stripping back the scenes of constructed chaos to instead present something more approachable and delicate. ‘Bloodstream’ is a key example of this, capturing an achy feeling that permeates through the whole track. What is one of their greatest assets, however, is the beautiful dynamic captured between co-lead vocalists, Hannah Mee and Jim Shaw. A rarity for most other bands, Hot Milk instead thrives in the existence of dual storytelling and the complexity of voice and perspective. It allows even the mundane moments of tracks to have an added flair and an existence of something beyond the standard pop-punk structure that exists in its lingering state.
If a song on this album were to capture the energy I think of when presented with the idea of Hot Milk, it would likely be ‘Party On My Deathbed’. For its entire duration, the track is chaotic, electric, and unapologetically crazy. Sharp riffs steer through powerful and raw screams one minute, and then next, you are presented with a rap-like verse that twists the entire nature of the track. Regardless of the musical shifts, a haunting undertone lingers that gradually becomes more prominent through the adoption of sound effects. Layer upon layer, ‘Party On My Deathbed’ excels in the form of enticement. For what could be seen as trying too hard for many bands, I think this act are truly at their best when there is so much going on. Their sound, energy, and identity thrives in the realm of chaos and unlicensed creativity. Moments of this album slip within their attempts to be stripped back and more approachable, and at times, makes tracks like this so sought after. Truly, this is a testament to the uniqueness of the band and their ability to tame the often daunting beast that is self-expression. It is their confidence and expression that makes Hot Milk who they are!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH8xucLawCM
A CALL TO THE VOID ceases to lose pace within its middle section, with ‘Zoned Out’, track six, being a personal favourite from the body of work. There is something so insatiable about the chorus of this track, filled with an overwhelming catchiness that begs you to listen to it again and again. Oddly enough, this track also fosters familiar comfort. Being a fan of the Australian pop-punk scene, the song feels like a rebellious love child of acts like RedHook, Yours Truly, and Stand Atlantic, amalgamating into a passionate and angsty tune with nothing short of a massive chorus. Dying down into industrial-like ringing, the album dives into the abyss that is ‘Over Your Dead Body’. Dark and menacing, this transition proves to be another impressive tonal shift that displays the band's duality. Theatrical and dramatic, the essence of showmanship within this track is the most impressive feat, conjuring a real sense of dread and despair through the band’s ever-expressive presentation.
The debut album from Hot Milk has also instructed the help of some musical friends. Of note, Julian Comeau of Loveless within the track ‘Amphetamine’. Once again, the band employs their usual, and mastered, balance of voices and energies perfectly, even when introducing a new voice to the dynamic. Fast-paced and high energy, the song reaches many peaks, but is most addictive in its pre-chorus and chorus- a trait in which Hot Milk have seemed to really hone in on within this album. So too, the finale of the track becomes an exploration of the vocalists, with high notes, expression in unison, and an overall display of all talents across the board really taking the stage. The song is truly a treat for fans of both groups!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNxff61oyqo
A CALL TO THE VOID concludes with the introspective ‘Forget Me Not’, a beautifully solemn track that allows the vocals of Jim and Han to shine. Its edge is found throughout the raw and weighted vulnerability of the band, a feeling that soars from every word and hits like a sharp sting. So too, what makes up for its lightness instrumentally, is the heaviness of its meaning. After all the chaos, energy, and excitement of the majority of the album beforehand, ‘Forget Me Not’ grounds the album for a moment, and reflects on the ongoing story and essence of existence that lingers throughout every track. Even in the moments of insanity must we take a moment to reflect…
Within their debut album, A CALL TO THE VOID, Hot Milk have continued to be unapologetically true to themselves, thriving in the chaos and calamity of their much-loved and crafted sound. It is within these moments that the band thrives, excelling the most in moments of abnormality, unexpectedness, and dual craftsmanship and storytelling. With many standouts, and even more tracks begging to be heard again, the album is a triumphant feat from the Manchester band, and is an assertion of their ever-growing following!
Hot Milk - A CALL TO THE VOID tracklisting:
- Welcome To The…2. Horrow Show3. Boodstream4. Party On My Deathbed5. Alice Cooper’s Pool House6. Zoned Out7. Over Your Dead Body8. Migraine9. Breathing Underwater10. Amphetamine (featuring Juilan Comeau)11. Forget Me Not
Rating: 7.5 / 10
A CALL TO THE VOID is out Friday, August 25th via Music For Nations. Pre-order here.
Review by Georgia Haskins @ghaskins2002
