This debut record, Hoping as a Coping Mechanism by Bristol’s finest noise-makers MOULD, is an absolute blast of visceral British punk energy that hits like a freight train of absolute rippers. From the very first needle drop, the band delivers a barrage of barbed hooks, punchy rhythms, and witty lyricism that kicks ya in your teeth and has you coming back for more. Honestly, this album rules so hard that I simply cannot get enough of it, and it has been on absolute heavy rotation without a single second of regret.
The songwriting throughout the project is remarkably focused, but three specific tracks stood out as complete bangers that showcased their brilliant range on my first listen. The lead single “Float” turns the absolute hellscape of endless doom-scrolling into an insanely infectious jam that sounds like Interpol on a wild post-punk bender. Meanwhile, “Emotive Language” morphs through dizzying time-signature shifts while delivering the very line that gives the record its name, making for a killer track that I keep coming back to from time to time. To round out the standout three amigos, “Misanthrope” kicks things off with pure, unadulterated urgency, perfectly setting the tone for the rest of the album’s noise that consumes your soul.
What makes Hoping as a Coping Mechanism such an incredible part of anyone’s record collection is that it provides the exact kind of loud/crazy comfort you need when life hands you ridiculous curveballs. For instance, when coming home from the bar the other night, last week, I decided to just air-fry some fries to snack on, and on my second handful of fries I heard a crunch, and it was my fucking tooth! The good news was that it didn’t hurt; the bad news was I swallowed it with the fries, which is a bizarre mid-snack tragedy that requires a truly legendary piece of music to recover from. Check out the links below and give this album a spin. Already have this one on my playlist I listen to when driving to and from work, along with some other killer bands like SPRINTS and Yard Act.
Links of interest:
https://www.instagram.com/moulditsmould/
https://mould.tmstor.es/
https://moulditsmould.bandcamp.com/