Social media anxiety in one EP

Philadelphia-based punk rock band Mannequin Pussy emerges from the depth of the pandemic with their newest EP, Perfect. The EP tackles modern issues like the pressure of social media and the confusion that goes along with it. How are people supposed to feel or behave on social media, especially during a pandemic?

Missy, the lead singer of the band, expresses herself on their website, “It was a really weird psychological experience, being bombarded by images of other people constantly when you are not around a lot of other people.”

Before releasing the EP, the band released the songs “Perfect” and “Control.” Both songs channel a certain degree of alternative, indie and punk that is later found in the other songs on the EP. “Control,” the first track, shows both soft melodies and hard riffs, which is almost like a foreshadowing of the following songs. Then, even though the EP definitely features somber and slow tracks, like the delicate “Darling” or “To Lose You,” it shows so much more in just five short tracks, like the song “Pigs Is Pigs” with male lead vocals, the song channels the anger and frustration that was very much present during the year 2020. It’s a fast-paced punk track that easily stimulates the audience, maybe for a little inner-riot.

“Darling” invites the audience to lean back and just let the music wash over oneself, all-consuming and thought stimulating. The soft tones have a comforting element that will be perfect for lonely dark nights. This ending is vastly different than the second track, “Perfect,” with hard beats and the frustration reflected in both lyrics and vocals. The feelings are infectious, and it’s hard to sit still during this song.

Perfect sums up the life in the pandemic and living a life through social media because of the limited contact with people in the outside world. Mannequin Pussy shows their many colors and emotions during this short but beautiful EP. It’s a ying-yang situation, for the soft spots need hard riffs and vice versa. Just in life, everything that goes up needs to come down eventually.