One of the biggest stains on my record as a music journalist is how late I was getting on board with indie-pop band Muna. Their third studio album saw the group leave their major label to go independent, and the results are simply awe inspiring. Explosive layers of synths, razor tight bass lines, joyous lyrics that feel larger than life, I’m truly disappointed that I didn’t hear this album when it originally came out in 2022 because it would have easily been among my favourites of that year.
Thematically, this is an album locked in recovery. Set mostly post-breakup, the songs here show a hunger to catapult themselves forward into whatever might come next following a failed relationship. There’s an unapologetic swagger to songs like ‘What I Want’ that highlight that determination to find someone better for themselves. The more sensitive moments like the blissful Phoebe Bridgers assisted ‘Silk Chiffon’, the tender slow burn of ‘Kind Of Girl’ and the nuanced reminiscence of ‘Home By Now’ all serve to demonstrate this trio’s diversity and maturity.
Without that extra layer of maturity in the writing, the flashiness of this album could’ve ended up being its downfall. Luckily the additional substance to the stories adds the necessary detail that makes Muna next level great. Take ‘Runner’s High’ as an example. It’s juggling the complicated guilt of running out on this person, but also the adrenaline rush of newfound freedom that makes the breakup go down a little easier. It’s unapologetic enough to place the relationship firmly in the rearview mirror, but sensitive enough to highlight the deeper emotions that underscore all of it.
That intelligence takes many forms across this album. ‘Home By Now’ is a wistful look back on a relationship that went wrong that leaves our protagonist wondering if the situation could’ve still been salvaged despite their struggles, ‘Anything But Me’ is the kind of optimistic breakup song for which I’ll always have a soft spot for, and ‘Shooting Star’ is a mournful but hopeful closer about the people we are destined to love only from afar. It’s honestly incredible how much milage Muna manage to get out of a relatively straightforward breakup album framework.
It’s clear by the quality on display here that Muna is a band that, major label or not, will absolutely last the distance. The craft, the instantly memorable hooks, the emotionally evocative writing, I’m not sure there’s anything about this album that could be better. Muna is a sensational synthpop masterpiece from top to bottom.
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