When Hot Mulligan dropped Pilot in 2018, I knew No Sleep Records had another gem on its hand, albeit one that would require some refining. And it's really great to hear rough edges have been smoothened out and what was a little too polished has been dirtied up because you'll be fine is pretty much the direction I hoped the band would take, elevating their brand of pop punk to a bit more ragged indie.

The sonic signature of old is there that pays tribute to bands like Neck Deep, Fall Out Boy, New Found Glory and Senses Fail. But there's a twist to them that harkens a lot to acts like Transit, Hotelier and even Sorority Noise. Look no further than "Feal like Crab", "OG Bule Sky" and "Dirty Office Bongos" which all show how simplicity works. Honestly, I think once COVID-19 ends, this band will be hitting circuits big with the likes of Riot Fest and so many more sure to take them on. And if they're already making the rounds, I expect that to increase exponentially in time.

And that's because of the twisty, winding turns other songs like "We're Gonna Make It to Kilby!" have adopted. The direction here is so Midwest-emo with warm, tappy, mathy guitars, it's heaven for fans of American Football and Tiny Moving Parts. But when you factor in how Hot Mulligan still keep their sound of old, you do end up with an aggressive and raw sound more along the lines of Free Throw, Moose Blood, Have Mercy and Dogleg. Dual vocals, emo-screams and a lot of passion as seen on "Digging In" -- a song about not killing rapists -- is a prime example of this, and I must give it to vocalist Nathan Sanville who really does a tremendous job with his versatility.

He's loud when need be and then on tracks like "Analog Fade (New Bule Sky)", he tempers it down to a slow burn the way Annabel and Run Forever have done in this sub-genre. All of this makes me glad to let you guys know Hot Mulligan is on anything but autopilot and I can't wait to see them go from strength to strength after this.