Mallrat – ‘Light Hit My Face Like a Straight Right’ album review: an erotic record in desperate need of stillness
THE SKINNY: There is some music that relies not only on its actual sound but also on the means by which it is listened to. The new mild hyper-pop offering by Mallrat is one of those albums; As Light Hit My Face Like a Straight Right is an album that requires absolute stillness. This is an album that needs to be listened to in isolation, with earphones recommended and in complete peace. When you listen to it like this, it can be a lot of fun, borderline meditative. However, that’s not how we listen to music a lot of the time, and the minute you try to integrate this new record into everyday life, you begin to hear how many shortcomings plague it.
Mallrat inhabits a musical space that expands slightly beyond standard bedroom pop. You can tell that while she dabbles in melody and vocal effects, as the genre so often does, she also takes a lot of time to try and build an atmosphere. A lot of time in this album is dedicated to building up musically in a way that feels cinematic; however, this building sensation doesn’t often go anywhere.
A lot of the new LP by Mallrat feels like increased volume and layering, leading to a drop or taking a song to a different place, but instead, songs just get confused, lost, and repeat themselves. It also feels like a lot of the tracks haven’t been entirely produced, as they are half finished, missing out on deeper bass, the timing of lyrics to instrumentation been all over the place, and some chopped-up vocals such as those on ‘Pavement’ sounding like placeholders rather than the finished product.
There are exciting moments in this album. For instance, the chaotic ambience on ‘Love Songs / Heart Strings’ shows real ambiguity, and some of the more upbeat tracks like ‘Hocus Pocus’ and ‘Hideaway’ are exciting to listen to, but they’re too few and far between. Overall, this album sounds like it needs more thought and more work, as its unfinished, confused nature means it only ever works in very specific settings.
For fans of: Music that exists by the skin of its teeth and is borderline meditative.
A concluding comment from an overworked producer: “Yeah, I’ll get round to it, it’s on my to do list.”
Light Hit My Face Like a Straight Right track by track:
Release date: February 14th | Record label: Dew Process/Universal | Producer: Buddy Ross
‘My Darling, My Angel’: Persistent pounding synth and heavenly-like vocals usher us into this album. It’s an incredibly atmospheric number that feels over before it has begun, entrenched in electronic house influences but also constantly building. The payoff feels limited, but you’re more enticed than disappointed. [3/5]
‘Pavement’: The beat which sets the foundation for this song is quite funky, with hints of breakbeat and some chopped-up vocals over the top, but the whole thing feels half-finished. Everything sounds poorly polished, and the vocal melody over it sounds like a placeholder rather than a finished product. Not to mention, the more you hear the chopped-up vocals that are supposed to be a chorus, the more you realise how badly it all actually comes together. [2/5]
‘Something for Somebody’: The vocals are nice, the melody is sweet-sounding, and the instrumentation is sweet-sounding. An electric guitar part breaking up the song is a welcome addition, but overall, the whole track doesn’t go anywhere. The first three songs feel more like a 9-minute introduction that hasn’t led anywhere as opposed to three finished songs. [2/5]
‘Virtue’: This is a song that is very much catered to a specific mood. It requires headphones, silence and stillness. If listened to this way, it feels meditative; if listened to any other way, dare I say, it’s a bit boring. [2/5]
‘Defibrillator’: While there is no doubt emotional meaning embedded in this track, it remains difficult to feel engaged with it. The structure mirrors what we have already heard and verges on dull, and the only parts of the song that pick up rely solely on volume as opposed to any exciting change in the song’s dynamic or structure. It doesn’t sound bad, but it also struggles to keep your attention. [2/5]
‘The Light Streams In and Hits My Face’: Oscillating synth and scattered vocals create a dreamlike soundscape in this short song. At under one minute long and hardly blending into the next song, it’s difficult to work out why it’s been included at all, but here we are. [1/5]
‘Hocus Pocus’: One of the more fun-sounding songs on the album with upbeat drums and a catchy vocal line. Sadly, it also feels slightly unfinished, as the bass doesn’t protrude through as much as it should on a song like this. Regardless, this is one of the few tracks you would revisit on the album. [3/5]
‘Hideaway’: One of the most compelling vocal performances on the record, as emotion manages to be carried in words despite being sung at speed. It’s an enchanting song, layered with instrumentation, which is easy to get lost in; it becomes something you can both chill out and dance to, an interesting combination to strike. [3/5]
‘Love Songs / Heart Strings’: A chaotic song, something complicated, messy and yet somehow enchanting. It’s a filler song for sure, but it shows a musical ear that exists even in times of chaos. Mallrat certainly is talented, but it hasn’t come through as much as it could on this record. [2.5/5]
‘Ray of Light’: Another musically complex number in parts. A distorted vocal is used as an exaggerated guitar line, as Mallrat highlights how powerful the voice can be both as an instrument and as something that carries words. A lot of the track falls into the same pattern that many tracks do on this record, but it certainly shows promise. [2.5/5]
‘The Worst Thing I Would Ever Do’: A song that blends into the background as it fails to separate itself from other songs on the record enough. There is certainly a set theme on this album that Mallrat sticks to, which is admirable, but it’s a theme that isn’t that compelling or nice to listen to. [2/5]
‘Horses’: Indie plucking and serenity see the record out on ‘Horses’. It’s been a good album to listen to, but it feels as though corners have been cut, and the whole thing sounds surface-level and unfinished. [2/5]
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