M(h)aol Something Soft
Released May 16, 2025 Merge Records
Early read 1 professional review Updated Feb 21, 2026
Broadly positive consensus
Early read based on 1 professional reviews. M(h)aol's Something Soft arrives as a bruising, concise statement that translates punk influence and personal grief into urgent, singalong moments.
How ChoruScore worksCritics' Top Tracks
The songs critics returned to most
DM:AM
1 critic mention
“Condemning the aggression of men rejected by women on 'DM:AM” — Hot Press
I Miss My Dog
1 critic mention
“I Miss My Dog' is more measured, a meditation on grief” — Hot Press
Snare
1 critic mention
“in 'Snare' - shows impressive growth from M(h)aol's debut” — Hot Press
Full critic consensus
M(h)aol's Something Soft arrives as a bruising, concise statement that translates punk influence and personal grief into urgent, singalong moments. Hot Press highlights “DM:AM” and “I Miss My Dog” as the record's clearest triumphs, where distorted textures and Constance Keane's raw vocals turn anger and loss into memorable, anthemic hooks. Those tracks emerge as the best songs on Something Soft, each balancing catharsis with catchy, chant-ready refrains.
Across the single professional review, critics note recurring themes of animal welfare, empathy, consumerism and intersectional feminism threaded through jagged instrumentation and pulverising production. The review praises growth from the band’s earlier work Attachment Styles, pointing to sharper songwriting and a willingness to marry abrasive sonics with lyrical nuance. Other standout moments named by reviewers include “Snare” and “Pursuit”, which build on the record's momentum with furious rhythms and confrontational riffs.
The critical consensus reads positively: Something Soft earned an 80/100 consensus score from one professional review, suggesting a strong, if focused, leap forward. While the record is unapologetically raw and occasionally abrasive, the prevailing view is that M(h)aol has crafted a compact collection that is both politically engaged and viscerally immediate. For readers searching for an honest answer to whether Something Soft is worth listening to, the evidence from professional reviews points to a worthwhile, gritty listen that showcases the band’s evolving voice and standout tracks like “DM:AM” and “I Miss My Dog”.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Pursuit
I Miss My Dog
You Are Temporary, But the Internet Is Forever
DM:AM
E8/N16
Vin Diesel
Clementine
Snare
IBS
1 800-Call-Me-Back
Coda
Get the next albums worth your time.
Critic-backed picks in one clean digest. No clutter.
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 6 critics who reviewed this album
No
Ho
Critic's Take
M(h)aol's Something Soft stakes its claim with the bruising anthems that propel the record, chief among them “DM:AM” and “I Miss My Dog”. The reviewer's voice lingers on the album's pulverising textures and distorted instrumental cries, noting how “DM:AM” channels its anger into a wry, singalong football chant while “I Miss My Dog” measures grief before a breakneck finale. The piece frames these best tracks as evidence of growth from Attachment Styles, praising Constance Keane's powerful vocals at the centre. Readers asking for the best songs on Something Soft will find those two cuts exemplary of the record's urgent sound and incisive lyrics.
Key Points
-
The best song is “DM:AM” for turning anger into a wry, anthemic chant that showcases the band's growth.
-
The album's core strengths are urgent, punk-infused textures, incisive lyrics, and Constance Keane's powerful vocals.
Themes
