The long-awaited new album from Mammoth Penguins arrives, opening with the powerhouse blast of ‘Species’, previously released as a single and superbly showcasing their musical clout and lyrical acuity. Following next is the light touch of ‘I Know The Signs’ where the simplicity of the words ‘…It’s all in the way you smile…I had my guard down…I wasn’t trying to impress anyone…’ belie the deeper feelings.

The attractive dissonance of ‘Flyers’ fires another neat anthem; a mini-history of many a struggling band. ‘Everything I Write’ is a pure but dark pop gem ‘…you don’t listen to what I say….I have to tell you the same thing two to three times a day…’. The title track ‘Here’ departs into a lusher sound featuring strings and builds a rich atmosphere over five and a half minutes.

The staccato guitar of ‘Old Friends’ underpins a realistic sentiment delivered wistfully by band composer Emma Kupa ‘….I can’t believe we made two lemonades last all night….why did we wait twenty years to laugh like old times?….’ while ‘Lost Friends’ acoustically echoes some of the same regrets.

And there are more tracks to savour on this excellent collection; the sleeve artwork may be monochrome but the songwriting, performance and production is full of depth and colour.

(Catch Mammoth Penguins Live!, at The Blue Moon in Cambridge 23/05/2024 with support from Huia Fun Club and Broken Chanter)

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