Mnnqns - Body Negative

On the surface MNNQNS (pronounced mannequins) might resemble a rock band: their music is stuffed with frenetic, jagged guitars that explode in frenzied bursts as pounding drums collide with intense vocals, all of which is carried forward with the charge of youthful spunk and propulsive energy. Yet plunge beneath that surface layer and MNNQNS are evidently a band exploring guitar music with much more depth and breadth than your average players. MNNQNS exude a sense of controlled danger and chaos and this permeates throughout their debut. Sharing influences as eclectic as Deerhunter, Death Grips, the Beach Boys, Omni and the films of Jean-Jacques Beineix, the record remains feverish and unpredictable. Notably, the record is also marked by the impact of frontman Adrian D'Epinay's schooling among the Welsh art-rock crowd in Cardiff. This unusual hybrid exploration of French and Welsh culture is one of the elements that makes MNNQNS so unique and their music so intent to eschew lazy categorization.The album is a rare record that manages to be both fiery and textural. It combines the charge and speed of a record that resembles a car veering dangerously close to a cliff edge yet also manages to instill a confidence in the ability of the driver. A sense of determination and focus is apparent on the record throughout; whether it's the post-punk assault of "Wire (Down to The)", the harmony-soaked pop swing of "NotWhatYouThoughtYouKnew", the deeply textural explorations of "Stagnant Pools"- which combines seamless melody with an urgency that resembles This Heat - or the kick-down-your-front-door charge of "Urinals". Self-described as a "rock band who hates Rock n' Roll," they strive to push their music towards something more ineffable.