Album review: Hot Mulligan – ‘Pilot’

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Don’t let the lack of tattoos, the polo shirts or the fact that they are based in a frat-heavy college town fool you, Hot Mulligan are the real deal. This is very apparent on their debut full-length record Pilot, due for release on March 23rd, 2018 via No Sleep Records.

Boasting a back catalogue that includes an excellent cover of “Big Casino” by Jimmy Eat World, Hot Mulligan has noticeably grown and progressed with the release of Pilot. “We recorded Pilot in Saginaw, Michigan with Nick Diener formerly of The Swellers” says guitarist Chris Freeman. “I hope it just pushes us forward a bit more”.

While the upbeat lead single “All You Wanted By Michelle Branch” contains enough ‘whoa-oh-ohs’ to keep any pop-punk fan happy, the angst of the vocals throughout the album give the record as a whole a bit of an edge.

The synth at the end of ‘How Do You Know It’s Not Armadillo Shells’ (for which Hot Mulligan just released a music video) meanwhile prompts memories of bands like The Reunion Show or The Anniversary. Hot Mulligan should be proud of this effort. It would be no surprise if Pilot is part of many Top 10 lists for 2018.

You can catch Hot Mulligan on tour, currently with Knuckle Puck, Boston Manor, Free Throw, and Jetty Bones through April 8.

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Don’t miss their upcoming run in April with Boston Manor and special guests Free Throw, Homesafe, and Save Face.

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For more on Hot Mulligan, check out their appearance in Episode 127 of Spinning Thoughts here.

You can get the album here. Have you already preordered Pilot? Have you seen Hot Mulligan on their current tour with Knuckle Puck? Are you going to catch them on their upcoming run with Boston Manor? Leave it in the comments down below or hit us up on Twitter: @SpinThoughts.