{"product_id":"something-soft","title":"Something Soft","description":"\u003cp\u003eSomething Soft, the second full-length album by Irish post-punk firebrands \u003cstrong\u003eM(h)aol\u003c\/strong\u003e, is anything but. From the first note of its propulsive opening track to the distorted cries of its last, \u003cem\u003eSomething Soft\u003c\/em\u003e feels antagonistic to the very concept of softness—sonically and thematically—taking an unapologetic approach to intersectional feminism, animal welfare, consumerism, and the struggle to find a place in a world lacking empathy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat \u003cstrong\u003eM(h)aol\u003c\/strong\u003e offers is catharsis in two forms: the kind you get from being open with others and the kind you get from righteously smashing some shit up. Effectively channeling rage and empathy is an act of resilience, and to make \u003cem\u003eSomething Soft\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eM(h)aol\u003c\/strong\u003e had to become especially resilient.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing their acclaimed debut \u003cem\u003eAttachment Styles\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eM(h)aol\u003c\/strong\u003e’s lineup changed, settling on the core trio of Constance Keane (drums\/vocals, she\/her), Jamie Hyland (bass\/vocals, she\/her), and Sean Nolan (guitar, he\/him). That process changed the band’s approach to songwriting and performing, resulting in an unexpected breakthrough where many groups have folded.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSomething Soft\u003c\/em\u003e features a more urgent sound, wound tightly around Hyland and Keane’s rhythm. On songs like \"\u003cem\u003epursuit\u003c\/em\u003e\" and \"\u003cem\u003eSnare\u003c\/em\u003e\" Keane’s vocals lock in on her drums, as if her words were stirred to life by her playing, issued directly from her body. Set against those respectively anxious and swaggering tracks, her voice occupies the space of an inner monologue—narrating a tense walk home and green room misogyny from a place of droll observance—a universal experience rendered in specific detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eLike its predecessors \u003cem\u003eAttachment Styles\u003c\/em\u003e and the \u003cem\u003eGender Studies EP\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSomething Soft\u003c\/em\u003e was recorded by Jamie Hyland. It is the most technically nimble of \u003cstrong\u003eM(h)aol\u003c\/strong\u003e’s recordings to date, with the band—joined by Pixie Cut Rhythm Orchestra’s Sarah Deegan on bass—decamping to Dublin’s Ailfionn Studio, where they took advantage of the space and studio equipment to bring more nuance to their sound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe polish serves to highlight \u003cstrong\u003eM(h)aol\u003c\/strong\u003e’s roguish charms, making the intimate feel anthemic, using personal experience to detail the broader systems we live under. For those who’ve come to recognize themselves in \u003cstrong\u003eM(h)aol\u003c\/strong\u003e’s songs, listening to \u003cem\u003eSomething Soft\u003c\/em\u003e is like jumping into a long-running chat thread, full of fury and humor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor those who haven’t, the door is open—\u003cem\u003eSomething Soft\u003c\/em\u003e’s thrills often turn on a dime towards introspection, as in \"\u003cem\u003e:Snare\u003c\/em\u003e\" where Keane’s response to the question, “Why not play something soft like piano or violin?” resolves itself to one of her own: “Did you ask him too?” It’s not a lecture or a snide rebuke but something much more deft—an invitation to see the world for what it really is, starting with the listener.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Merge Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":51385382961483,"sku":"R1906-0218","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":51385382994251,"sku":"R1906-2788","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/9b224ee1-1033-8c46-95a7-fdddeaa1050d_8c16081a-bbe9-411f-893f-b8474f019c5b.jpg?v=1752247612","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/fr\/products\/something-soft","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}