Wake Up, Shut Up, Work
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MILLIE MANDERS AND THE SHUTUP – WAKE UP, SHUT UP, WORK – ALBUM REVIEW
It’s about time that any self-respecting punk rock aficionado has Millie Manders and the Shutup on their radar. Since releasing their debut album, ‘Telling Truths, Breaking Ties’ during the pandemic, the band have made full use of the reopened world, playing countless headline shows, notable support slots and a strong smattering of festival appearances.
Indeed, you’ve probably been living under a rock if you haven’t at least noticed their name on a poster of some sort. There has however been no better time than now to get onboard the good ship Shutup and take on the rewarding journey of their sophomore release, ‘Wake Up, Shut Up, Work’!
As Millie recently discussed on The Full Pelt Music Podcast, this record sees Manders and her cohorts enter into a much more collaborative writing process and the outcome is their trademark sound turned up to eleven.
A more expansive sonic palette is used to create a greater sense of depth throughout the twelve engaging tracks. The range of emotions evoked almost rivals the amount of different vital topics covered, with Manders’ lyricism again simple yet incredibly powerful.
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There is fearlessness in calling out various toxic and unjust elements of society and some of the hypocrites that virtue signal without the willingness to speak out if it risks alienating their audience. Millie Manders and the Shutup certainly can’t be accused of failing to speak up, and this record is another call to arms for listeners to at least step back and educate themselves properly on subjects before arriving at any easy conclusions.
Of course, it’s important to pay attention to the topics highlighted across the album, but equally we’d be remiss if we didn’t spotlight the musical results of the groups shared inputs. The sometimes-heavy lyrics are perfectly framed by a mixture of brash punk and uplifting ska – all of which is designed to get your feet moving whilst your head is thinking.
The simple fact here is that this is an album which is made to be played live, and these songs will live forever on stage. With more dates already in the calendar, you’re sure to see the name Millie Manders and the Shutup on many more posters, as this album will undoubtedly act as a new springboard for the group.
Which brings us full circle to our main point – there has never been a better time than now to dive into the world of Millie Manders!
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Watch Episode 53 of The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guest Millie Manders!