Mannequin Pussy are an enigma if not for their name, then for their style. The Philadelphia rock outfit combines hardcore punk and power pop, two genres that couldn’t be more opposite. Yet, they make it work and have been making it work since their inception. I Got Heaven, their fourth studio album and second release on Epitaph, finds the group at their most mature, actualized, and invigorated with the help of studio subtleties, producer James Connoton, new guitarist Maxine Steen, and a more collaborative songwriting approach.
Like most bands, COVID affected their tour schedule and ability to make and play music in the same room. Mannequin Pussy have gone through some turmoil since their last full-length release, Romantic, nearly five years ago, including a line-up change, a breakup, and equipment theft. Marisa “Missy” Dabice, lead guitarist and vocalist, has been the project’s longest-serving member, followed by drummer Kaleen Reading, bassist Colins “Bear” Regisford, and touring guitarist turned member Maxine Steen.
The opening title track sets I Got Heaven off with an explosive tone. After some hazy guitar chords, a drum fill propels Dabice into an impassioned diatribe. She challenges her antagonist as she yells, screams, roars, and sings, leading to one of the most memorable lyrics, “What if Jesus himself ate my fucking snatch.” The blunt and subversive rhetorical question makes for the perfect band shirt, which you can buy off Mannequin Pussy’s website. When the chorus comes, Dabice’s vocal delivery turns sweet as she sings a catchy melody that, together with the instruments, sounds like it could have been concocted in the 1990s. Her unique ability to be angry and innocent sometimes within the same song is essential to note and is one of the reasons Mannequin Pussy have become an intrigue.
If the last song didn’t suggest Cabice’s spirit animal to be something like an ornery German Shepherd, “I go and walk myself outside like a dog without a leash, now I’m growling at a stranger, I am biting them at their knees,” the following track does. On “Loud Bark”, a decidedly indie rock entry, Cabice proves she has it and more. She crescendos to the chorus with hardcore intensity, repeating, “I’ve got a loud bark, deep”, until she yells. Again, she showcases a range of emotions and facilities, teetering between extremes on a spectrum. Her performance is convincing, authentic, and never forced. She’s the type of personality that won’t fit every room because she would never mold herself to fit expectations. “Loud Bark” has an indelible hook and stands out as a highlight of the record.
“Nothing Like” begins like a 1990s pop-rock song with its programmed-like dance beat. But despite the seemingly sunny prospects of lightheartedness, Caprice’s anger and frustration don’t go away. Like a slow-moving storm, Caprice’s whirlwind vocal delivery continues as she sings about burning down the world. In a press release, Cabice says the inspiration for the song came many moons ago while watching an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer while stoned. Even though the jangly guitar, tambourine, and Caprice’s saccharine vocal melodies suggest a more mainstream, accessible product, her songs still pack a ferocious punch.
The self-assured single “I Don’t Know You” finds the group in a softer light. Brushes and tambourine score the percussion, and a twinkling synth pattern placed at the perfect moment in the chorus elevates the song. In fact, throughout I Got Heaven, some subtleties show Mannequin Pussy have matured through experience. Cabice’s ability to go from screaming on one track to singing a delicate melody is impressive and has been fully developed. In the song, she claims to “know a lot of things” but admits, “But I don’t know you.” At the bridge, fuzzy guitars flood the mix, making the moment climatic and cathartic. “Sometimes”, though an upbeat song with snappy drums and jangly guitar, feels lyrically lackluster as Cabice repeatedly sings “sometimes”. But the simplicity of the mantra fits well, especially when contrasted with the passionate ending. She goes from screaming to a whisper as the syrupy guitar effect fades into the ether.
A lull follows the energetic opening until the band returns to their hardcore lean on “Ok?Ok!Ok!Ok!.” Caprice shares vocal duties with guitarist Mamie Steen as they pummel listeners with a croaky, furious assault. Their pit-opening thrash sections recall the strange pop sensibilities in Turnstile’s hardcore, where audience members get chances to sing along to catchy hooks and slam dance with equal emphasis. “Softly” changes moods again, bringing the band back into a kinder realm of indie rock. The guitar work here and elsewhere on the album is creative, especially how they span the entire instrument dynamic, going from clean channels to overdriven strumming.
In the second half of I Got Heaven, Mannequin Pussy dials up the intensity. “Of Her” and “Aching” are short and furious punk songs. Running under two minutes a piece, Cabice uses the platform to continue to release her rage. She attempts to regain control of her free will, which she has sung about on the delicious indie rock song “Control” off their previous EP. “Split Me Open” bookends I Got Heaven with a tame indie rock song with a sugary chorus of “dah dah dah dah dah dah dah dah.” It’s not the most epic end to a record, but it does provide a nice cool-down after the sweaty punk numbers. In this song, she gives the last bit of herself, projecting her vulnerabilities but feeling optimistic even though she screams, “Nothing’s gonna change.”
I Got Heaven has a little bit for everyone. If you enjoy a sugar pop song, they have it. If you like songs that move fast and vicious, they have that too. Mannequin Pussy can move seamlessly between extremes, but they don’t usually mix the two entirely. Songs either lie in the power pop or punk hardcore categories. Their ability to switch between the two is impressive. Hearing one of their pop songs, you would never guess they also write fast punk songs. All the studio magic subtitles, songwriting, and Cabice’s impassioned performance make Mannequin Pussy’s I Got Heaven something more than an emotionless dummy.