Punk-Rock Heroes Mannequin Pussy Crush All Expectations in “I Got Heaven”

It's been five years since Mannequin Pussy released their critically acclaimed album Patience, which proved just how versatile and unapologetically intense these Philly punk rockers could be. From perfect breakup anthems like “Drunk II” to screamers like “Cream,” the band ventured beyond the noise-rock heard in Fishtown dive bars to write stunning songs with tons of emotional power. Since then, Mannequin Pussy—consisting of singer Marisa “Missy” Dabice, drummer Kaleen Reading, bassist Colins “Bear” Regisford, and recently added guitarist and keyboardist Maxin Steen—have been pandemonium for a new record Mannequin Pussy with 202 songs. ER Perfect.

The long awaited I got Heaven, have completely stepped up, combining rich synth sounds with their brash punk sensibility. Nowhere is this more evident than on the title track. The song rages at Christian hypocrisy before segueing into a meditative mantra of self-love. It's refreshing, radical and fearless as Dubis snarls, “What if Jesus himself ate my fucking arse?”

On older albums like Patience and of 2016 Romantic, Mannequin Pussy used anger as a design. But on their newest LP, it's like a vessel to explore the depths of loneliness and desire. “I got Heaven it's the longing for something new and exciting,” Dabice said Rolling rock last year. “There's a pervasive sense of longing and irritation about it.”

album highlight “Loud Bark” oozes rage and lust as Dabice declares her untamed ferocity: “Not even a mama that tried to lock me down/Could get the collar around my neck,” she spits in an aggressive line . Against a grungy riff, Dabice shares her conflicting need to be “loved” and feared as she sings, “I'm a woman lost but I like success/ I keep all my sugar where I know you like it best. ” The song builds to a deafening crescendo as Missy screams the chorus until she is fully released.

Meanwhile “OK? OKAY! OKAY? OK!” and “Hurt” enter wild wailing territory. On the former, Bear takes over vocals to scream about the crazy state of the world against Reading's insistent drums. These moments turned Mannequin Pussy into punks their roots.But the way Steen's sleek synth lines glide I got Heaven creates an interesting contrast. Adding another layer to their sound, singles like “Nothing Like” and “Sometimes” are filled with gentle guitars that could easily soundtrack a beloved romantic comedy from the 90s.

Mannequin Pussy's lyrical prowess is on full display with I got Heaven. On “Tell Me Softly,” they wax lyrical about a lover on a heavy track: “Daylight brings/Revelations about your hands your lips your heart.” Such a sentiment feels out of place here, but because the rest of the album is so intense, the sense of optimism is welcome and earned. With the album closer “Split Me Open”, I got Heaven lands a final tender punch with lines like “I worry about wanting you with the power of a thousand suns burning the sky” hovering over the verse. Written in the glow of an acid trip, according to the band, it's a dreamy soundscape in its vein Patience“Who You Are”, but on a whole new level with deeper sonic dimensions that highlight Dabice's delicate falsetto. It's the sum of what happens when Mannequin Pussy pours raw emotion onto the canvas and steps back to find a shimmering display of human longing.