SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: MX LONELY – PERFECT HOUSE

MX LONELY
PERFECT HOUSE
JULIA’S WAR RECORDINGS

Peep beyond the meme inspired and crayon coloured artwork to find Perfect House, the most recent EP from Brooklyn, New York based shoegaze band, MX Lonely. The four-track record marks their second major release this year, following the February release of their debut full-length album, All Monsters.

Perfect House opens with the listless sway of “March 16^th,” a song that navigates atmospheric lows and punishing waves of distortion. There is a powerful command over dynamics between the spacious verses and the wall of sound that dominates the chorus. Between this, there is a haunting use of dissonance and tension, coming largely from the lingering backing vocals that sets MX Lonely apart from most traditional shoegaze bands. That being said, the following song, “Ex Rae Punk,” carries itself with a lighter step that aligns the band with a modern, post-rock sound. There is a great contrast between the opening two songs, demonstrating a sense of range to the sound and songwriting on Perfect House.

The album continues with “Twenty Seconds”. Driven by an up-beat and an ambient and winding riff, the song stands with “March 16^th” as the strongest on the EP. There is a greater level of introspection to “Twenty Seconds” that manifests in a sense of longing heard in the vocal melody. Furthermore, the rhythmic and harmonic modulation that leads into the verse accents the song in a simple, but very meaningful way. The EP then closes with the softest song of the four, “Bird.” There is a reflective, melancholic tone to the song with the vocal harmonies pushed to the front and centre, further highlighting one of the band’s greatest strengths.

Perfect House serves as a worthwhile addition to All Monsters as MX Lonely continue to expand their sound. The use of an immediate follow up additionally serves to extend the lifespan of their debut album. All in all, Perfect House feels like an epilogue to All Monsters while continuing to curate an air of excitement surrounding MX Lonely.

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