Ever since forming Liquid Mike five years ago, Mike Maple has certainly kept himself busy. ‘Hell Is An Airport’ is the sixth full-length under this moniker, yet the Michigan native isn’t alone. Synth player and vocalist Monica Nelson, drummer Cody Maracek and bassist Zack Alworden have been frequent collaborators. Alworden’s Charmer bandmate, guitarist Dave Daignault, joined the band two years ago. Despite surrounding himself with trustworthy cohorts, ‘Hell Is An Airport’ sees Maple maintain a personal touch to its 14 songs.
At its thematic core is the self-depricating Maple. Whether that’s the monotony of everyday life on ‘AT&T,’ or how his body hates him on ‘Claws,’ Maple utilises humour to get through the mundanity and bleak self-awareness. Rather than wallow in his own failures, he’s able to laugh at his own failures. For example, ‘Groucho Marks’ shows he’s coping, taping together broken items, while his bandmates charge with a punchy rhythm section and a wall of distortion. On ‘Lit From the Wrong End,’ he uses a slapstick metaphor of sledging downhill and meeting an unexpected jump.
He also leans into nostalgia as he reminisces about shopping malls (‘Selling Swords’), the wistful ache of a past summer (”99′), and a depleted house someone’s father built (‘Crop Circles’). It hints at a songwriter with mortality weighing on his shoulders, especially on the latter. It’s a way of grounding his humour in something more human and relatable, even making the self-deprecation hit harder than intended.
It’s all countered by an abundance of hook-laden songs. No song barely stretches the three-minute mark, making ‘Hell Is An Airport’ an easily digestible record. From the moment ‘Instantly Wasted’ launches, you’re introduced by Liquid Mike‘s swift, anthemic style. Tracks such as ‘Lit From the Wrong End’ and ‘Grand Am’ whisk by with ease, utilising favourable guitar licks and an energetic rhythm.
Early album highlights ‘Crop Circles’ and ‘Double Dutch’ exemplify the quintet’s scrappy and occasionally fuzzy sound. ‘Grand Am’ jangles with a midwestern pop-punk shine, before ”99′s bassline rumbles against its bursting ’90s alt-rock energy. Whereas ‘Claws’ wouldn’t sound out of place in Weezer’s deep catalogue – sweet backing harmonies brilliantly clash with fuzzy guitar melodies. And despite its title, ‘Liam Gallagher’ recalls Foo Fighters’ self-titled effort with its sonic rawness and big percussion.
‘Hell Is An Airport’ rounds off the 30-minute jaunt, bringing together the mix of absurd humour and anxious self-awareness. Blending daydream monotony with surreal imagery, it amplifies Maple’s insecurities as well as his persistence to please others.
Even though Liquid Mike‘s discography has rapidly grown, ‘Hell Is An Airport’ is a short and sharp introduction to those just jumping on board (no plane-related pun intended). Maple’s lyrical introspection and self-deprecating wit are complemented by a set of zippy and raw songs. Backed by a unit that provides an energetic musical spine spanning lo-fi alt-rock, punk, and power-pop, the record results in being cathartic, funny, and quietly nostalgic.
‘Hell Is An Airport’ by Liquid Mike is released on September 12th.
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