The Star's critic MARIA DUARTE reviews Sebastian, Four Mothers, Restless, and The Most Precious of Cargoes
Latest editorial
Album reviews with Mik Sabiers
New releases from Hot Milk, Prince and the Revolution and Pales Waves
3
JOHN GREEN explores the argument that psychiatry needs to move away from the idea of just seeing and treating the individual
SYLVIA HIKINS applauds a polemic against “cleanfluencers” and considers radical alternatives to current inequalities of housework
RUTH AYLETT admires the blunt honesty with which a woman’s experience is recorded, but detects the unexamined privilege that underlies it
IAN SINCLAIR draws attention to the powerful role that literature plays in foreseeing the way humanity will deal with climate crisis
High quality pulp, rollicking online murders, Abnorman Britain, and high skates drama: reviews of The Get Off, Everyone In The Group Chat Dies, Pagans and First To Fall
DENNIS BROE notes what happens to content when the streaming giants incorporate AI and deregulation into their economic models
Hot Milk
The King and Queen of Gasoline
(Music for Nations)
★★★
KNOWN for stand out single California Burning — a rally cry against greed and the ruling class — emo power pop duo Hot Milk, consisting of Han Mee and Jim Shaw, have released their latest call to the disaffected youth of today.
This six-track EP — The King and Queen of Gasoline — comes across as a mini concept album telling a tale of tearaways fighting the system and creating a movement of their own.
The twin vocals play off one another with a rock guitar driven soundtrack that occasionally segues into melodic emo a la early Pale Waves or The 1975 with a bit of Yungblud attitude mixed in.
This album could do with a bit more of the fire of the band’s live set, but it’s accomplished emo power pop with some interesting twists that surprise and sooth the listener as well as shout directly to the soul.
More from this author
MIK SABIERS leaves The Itch gig rejuvenated and energised
MIK SABIERS detects a serious message beneath the fun and frenzy of a classic 1980s Grebo scene band
