Meg Cratty, armed with an electric ukulele and lead vocals, joins forces with Mr. Strontium, the rhythm maestro wielding drums and even a teapot for good measure. Together, they craft a genre-defying blend of garage rock, funk, and soul that transcends the boundaries of convention– and this is christened “The Margaret Hooligans”; keep reading for my thoughts on their latest single, “Royal Octopus Canal”!
“Royal Octopus Canal” bleeds garage rock and grunge– almost as if the message of nonconformism is the name of the game here; and what strikes me as surprisingly good, is the success of the execution so as to convey that very message. Right from the opening second, there’s controlled chaos that gently unfolds, the energy rising from one high to another, contributing to what is an absolute rollercoaster of dynamism, life and energy throughout the song.
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The production retains the core of what made grunge rock great in the first place– slapdash, angsty vocals with instrumentation that echoes that very sentiment throughout the mix throughout the duration of the track– and they all come together in a way very distinct to The Margaret Hooligans; while having enough freshness to put them on the map.
The mix does far from disappoint, too, and that’s rather difficult to achieve in grunge garage rock; the message and the style of it being underground and rebellious, matched with the technical pillars of what makes a track well-mixed is a balance The Margaret Hooligans walk the tightrope on, quite effortlessly, much to my delight; and overall, “Royal Octopus Canal” comes out sounding more than just alright, it successfully manages to embody the uprising of this style of music in the 90s, and takes a step further, livening it up, yet again, in 2024.
So, in conclusion, “Royal Octopus Canal”, by The Margaret Hooligans: a solid message, excellent execution, and a joy untold to listen to. Check the track out here!
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