Milhouse Make A Surprise Return With Out of Bed & Full Of Beans
Posi-punk heroes and icons, Milhouse, have today caught seemingly the entire scene off guard with the surprise release of out of bed & full of beans; the bands first release since 2013. Only out a minute, Spencer Scott, has penned his thoughts on the EP.
Last year Luca Brasi’s homegrown festival, Til The Wheels Fall Off, returned for another year. The lineup featured the likes of Camp Cope, Ruby Fields, and Bad//Dreems; but for a section of the audience, the caps lock key was busted out for a band hiding in the row second from the bottom. Sydney Pop Punk outfit Milhouse were playing their first show since 2013.
It’s the sort of low fanfare return that one would expect from the three-piece. They’re the last band that would use a series of promotional tactics in an effort to build ‘hype’. Which is why it’s no surprise, that on a Wednesday afternoon in 2018 - the band would surprise us all with a brand new four-track EP, uploaded to Bandcamp as a ‘Pay What You Want’ download.
The cult following that Milhouse built both in their days sweating it out at Blackwire Records, and the years after are a testament to the power of their songwriting. Razor sharp instrumentals complimenting hook-filled Pop Punk songs about...food, mostly.
The band released only two EPs, one Split 7” with Headaches (featuring the indelible Shane Collins), one unreleased track and a posthumous live album. The brevity of Milhouse’s discography became their greatest strength - over the course of three years the three-piece had created a body of work that was the definition of ‘all killer, no filler’.
Out Of Bed & Full Of Beans sounds like a direct continuation of the Milhouse we know and love. There are no grand experiments here, no returning to tweak the sound to fit current styles. From the opening bars of ‘Repeating’ it’s clear what you’re in for - just more Milhouse.
Calling to mind bands like Good Luck and Tiny Moving Parts; the guitars have the ability to turn on a dime between massive power chords and noodly guitar fills. Likewise, the rhythm section is locked in - letting the band utilize bursts of subtle technicality that makes it so fun to listen to.
Of course, it’s also just filled to the brim with hooks. Tom’s ability to write short, catchy, relatable Pop Punk bangers is what makes Milhouse so damn great.
Is this all we can expect from Milhouse? Will there be more music to come? A national tour? One of the best things about Milhouse is that you’re not expecting anything - so you’re always ready to be blown away.
