MUNA isn’t going soft. After the dreamy song “Silk Chiffon (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)” blew up off their 2022 self-titled album, the band seems determined to let the world know it’s not going to leave its up-tempo pop roots.
The band’s fourth studio album, “Dancing On The Wall,” released Friday, channels this energy through a fast-paced, campy 13-song tracklist. Though the electronic pop style doesn’t mesh well with the album’s attempted slow jams, its standout tracks are perfect for dancing along to on upcoming summer nights.
The tracklist starts — literally — hot and heavy with “It Gets So Hot,” a synth-heavy song that slowly builds to a thumping drum beat. Lyrics like “And she’s so hot when she’s putting on her make-up / And she’ll sweat it off when she’s in the club” preview the album’s overall cheeky tone.
As the titular track, and first single released, “Dancing On The Wall” represents the album’s key themes: its lyrics lend to the dance floor, its production has an ’80s-style electronic sound and lead vocalist Katie Gavin sounds unapologetically spunky and seductive.
“Eastside Girls” steps up the silliness with a carefree bravado. As Gavin breathlessly swings between upper registers to sing lyrics like “Oh, I know it, I’m your Eastside girl / Pick me up off the 2, you can get it,” a chant of “Eastside girl” repeats underneath the melody. The song manages to be fun, catchy and different without overstepping.
Unfortunately, “Wannabeher” is where the band officially does too much. First verse lyrics, “Hot b—h, she’s a rock b—h / Better not, b—h / She’s the pilot of the cockpit” are probably supposed to be provocative, but ultimately come across as unnecessary.
Cringe-worthy lyrics are not the album’s only shortcoming. Because MUNA is so dedicated to maintaining heavy electronic production and simple drum beats, the album’s slower songs feel unnatural and drag down the listening experience.
“On Call” is one such slow jam. With drum, guitar and bass parts very similar to those on other tracks but at a much slower tempo, the song sounds like it’s at half speed. If the band insisted on using the same formula for all songs, I think the album should’ve just stayed up-tempo.
Nonetheless, where some tracks miss the mark, others make up for it. The guitar part on “Girl’s Girl” is addictive, practically begging the listener to dance along. “Why Do I Get A Good Feeling” includes what sounds like cello to the mix, experimenting with the fast-paced format in an interesting way toward the album’s end. And Gavin’s voice brings emotion and attitude to “Mary Jane.”
Though “Dancing On The Wall” has some skips, and certain lyrics lean awkward, its playlist-worthy tracks are ready to be played at full blast with friends. Even though the album’s sound stems from MUNA’s origins in raunchy electronic pop, the sound at its best might soundtrack some memorable nights.
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