A swelteringly hot pulse. A staccato synth buildup. A voice seems to fade in and out of a light-headed daze as steam fills the atmosphere. A pressure cooker of sounds that mirror whip cracks frame lyrics of sweat dripping on to concrete. No window is cracked in pop band MUNA’s newest opening track, “It Gets So Hot.”
The humid tension primes the listener for what’s to come.
A guiding theme of desire in a time of crisis. The drama of sapphic lust. The temptation of escapism.
In its latest album “Dancing On The Wall,” MUNA doesn’t shy away from cataloguing the messy antics of Los Angeles lesbians, nor the bleak political landscape that frames them. Everything from yearning for the local bad-news-bombshell to fighting pessimism with pleasure is aired out over punchy ‘80s power beats.
For MUNA — made up of Katie Gavin, Naomi McPherson and Josette Maskin — the only way to follow a two-year album drought was to make their fanbase even thirstier. Known for breezy tracks like their hit song “Silk Chiffon,” which celebrates queer joy and mini skirts, the band has pivoted to an angstier tone. One that prompts listeners to work up a sweat.
“We’re in this era where rights are being stripped away,” guitarist Maskin told The Creative Independent, an art publication. “It’s our reaction to that message as queer people who aren’t just joyful. We’re full of rage.”
McPherson’s abrasive, syncopated electronic beats fuel tension. Then danceable releases burn off the anxiety. The album’s production executes the same push-and-pull vocalist Gavin details narratively, of wrestling with a toxic lover she just can’t seem to quit.
The title track summarizes how Gavin’s relentless desire fuels her self-destruction, with the chorus “You’re the wall that I keep banging my head against / I’m always saying, ‘This time, I’ll get through.’”
The album explores the incredibly human, often blinding thirst for companionship. Beneath an upbeat veil lies a collection of vulnerable confessions that feel like excerpts from lyricist Gavin’s diary, detailing the pains of a hopeless romantic. Settling for shape-shifting to someone else’s needs — “On Call.” Being runner-up to a lover’s new infatuation –- “Mary Jane.” The internal conflict of giving in to unhealthy comforts — “Why Do I Get A Good Feeling.”
MUNA explores what happens when our fallible pleasure systems pilot our lives more than common sense. The band approaches this theme from a political lens on “Big Stick,” a fast-paced protest of modern-day America’s cruel hedonism. It mimics leaders that strategically “give kids in Palestine PTSD,” and beauty industries that capitalize on insecurity.
“Our connections with each other can also be put into peril in dark times,” Gavin told radio station Triple J. “Often it’s our desire that can propel us to keep moving forward.”
With “Dancing On The Wall,” MUNA refuses to shake their optimism even in angst. Desire may inherently shackle us to suffering. But however suffocating, our primitive cravings anchor us to our humanity.
The pop album is designed to be felt out on the sanctuary of a steamy, packed dance floor — ideally one that would concern the fire department — wicking away sweat, tears and all.
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TOP PHOTO: From left to right, vocalist Katie Gavin, guitarist Josette Maskin and producer Naomi McPherson of pop band MUNA pose for the cover of their latest album, “Dancing On The Wall.” The fuzzy texture mimics the haze created by its steamy sonic atmosphere. (Photo by Scott Orlow/Courtesy of Saddest Factory Records)
Jaxyn Good is the Managing Editor of The Express. Follow her on Instagram @jaxyngood.
