16/05/25 Dinked Edition 344 ● Opaque baby blue vinyl *● “I Miss My Dog” embroidered patch *● Art print *● Limited pressing of 450 **EXCLUSIVE to Dinked Edition Something Soft, the second full-length album by Irish post-punk firebrands M(h)aol, is anything but. From the first note of its propulsiveopening track to the distorted cries of its last, Something Soft feels antagonistic to the very concept of softness, sonically and thematically,taking an unapologetic approach to intersectional feminism, animal welfare, consumerism, and the struggle to find a place in a world lackingin empathy. What M(h)aol offers is catharsis, in two forms: the kind you get from being open with others, and the kind you get fromrighteously smashing some shit up.Effectively channeling rage and empathy is an act of resilience, and to make Something Soft, M(h)aol had to become especially resilient.Following their acclaimed debut Attachment Styles, M(h)aol’s line-up changed, settling on the core trio of Constance Keane (drums/vocals,she/her), Jamie Hyland (bass/vocals, she/her), and Sean Nolan (guitar, he/him). That process changed the band’s approach to songwriting andperforming, resulting in an unexpected breakthrough where many groups have folded.Something Soft features a more urgent sound wound tightly around Hyland and Keane’s rhythm. On songs like “Pursuit” and “Snare,” Keane’svocals lock in on her drums, as if her words were stirred to life by her playing, issued directly from her body. Set against those respectivelyanxious and swaggering tracks, her voice occupies the space of an inner monologue narrating a tense walk home, and green room misogynyfrom a place of droll observance, a universal experience rendered in specific detail.
