If you took a pop-punk band and gave it a guitarist who could lay out big blankets of sound like
J Mascis, you might end up with something like U.K. trio
Muncie Girls, who deliver an engaging blend of hooks and firepower on their second album, 2018's
Fixed Ideals. Guitarist Dean McMullen doesn't always go big on this material, but on tracks like "Jeremy," "Picture of Health," and "Fig Tree," he's not shy about letting his grunge and hard rock influences show, and his heavy approach adds plenty of muscle to the frameworks of these songs. However, McMullen's massive, crunchy tone does nothing to blunt the sweet and sharp report of the melodies, and there's a buoyant quality to Lande Hekt's vocals that lifts up the performances even when the lyrics find her puzzling over current events ("Family of Four"), society at large ("Clinic" and "Laugh Again"), and the tribulations of being a twenty-something woman ("Jeremy" and "Locked Up"). Hekt is also a solid bassist as well as contributing additional guitar on these sessions, and with drummer Luke Ellis, she drops a powerful motor into this music that swings hard but doesn't trample the songs in the process. The mostly acoustic "Hangovers" further testifies to
Muncie Girls' versatility and pop smarts, turning down the tempo and volume but still revealing something intelligent and absorbing. The production is a bit smoother and more full-bodied than on 2016's From Caplan to Belsize, but it doesn't sand all the texture from these songs, and it certainly flatters the guitars and helps the hookier side of the band shine through.
Muncie Girls have foiled the sophomore slump with
Fixed Ideals, and if they sound a bit less D.I.Y. this time out, they still sound like a smart and forceful rock band that can deliver great music while offering plenty of food for thought. ~ Mark Deming