Mammoth Penguins certainly knows how to make a grand entrance, or should I say, a triumphant comeback? The band’s new album Here is out today on Fika Records and is the successor of There’s No Fight We Can’t Both Win (2019), John Doe (2017) and Hide And Seek (2015). The album kicks off with the instantly recognizable voice of Emma Kupa delivering the following lines: “Between two hundred and two thousand species go extinct each year. I am not that special, but I’m still here.” It’s a great opening line to a standout song on what turns out to be a fantastic indie pop LP – what I believe to be the band’s best record yet.
Mammoth Penguins are is comprised of Emma Kupa (Let’s Whisper, Standard Fare, The Hayman Kupa Band) as well as Mark Boxall (bass, keys, vocals) and Tom Barden (drums, percussion, vocals). On Here, the band sounds like Cambridge’s answer to The Beths, or vice versa as a a matter of fact considering Mammoth Penguins predates The Beths by a couple of years. Both bands have a similar knack for putting the purest pop melodies in a punchy package, skillfully balancing saccharine hooks with a touch of bittersweetness. It’s a formula that perfectly complements Kupa’s distinctive voice, which not only carries but also enriches the songs.
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