MX LONELY are back with a new EP. Having written about All Monsters back in February, I was keen to hear where the Brooklyn quartet would go next, and ‘March 16’ duly earned a place on my October DKFM show. Their new EP, Perfect House, has Rae Haas on vocals and synthesiser, Jake Harms on guitar and vocals, Gabriel Garman on bass and Andrew Rapp on drums. Together, they’ve developed a sound with real grunge weight, floaty shoegaze guitar textures and memorable vocal melodies Across these four songs, they return to ideas from different points in their history, bringing years of playing together to material that still had something to say.
In October of last year the band sat down in their basement studio and picked these four songs from a slew of demos made during the lifespan of MX. Those existing recordings became the starting point for further work, with parts added, removed and reconsidered as the songs developed. Friends Caitlin Starr and Connor Gibson of Wiring also contributed vocals and guitar. It sounds like a lovely way to work, giving an old idea time and company until you understand what you want to do with it. The EP’s interest in love, separation and recurring emotional habits makes that process of returning to the past feel particularly appropriate.
Let’s dive in and see what the band ended up creating.
A slowly moving bass introduces ‘March 16’, with eerie feedback creating an uneasy atmosphere above it. The verses have a stop and start movement that reminds me of Great Grandpa, particularly in the way those interruptions keep you attentive to the rhythm. Haas and Harms share vocal duties, with Starr’s contribution adding to the harmonies as the choruses expand. There’s a satisfying relationship between those interrupted verses and the fuller passages, allowing the music to express some of the uncertainty in a relationship caught in familiar patterns. Intriguingly, its melody and lyrics emerged while the band were working with Starr on harmonies for ‘Ex Rae Punk’. That spontaneous beginning suits a song with such an immediate appeal. It was a pleasure to play this on the October show, and hearing it open the EP gives you a good sense of why I wanted to share it.
‘Ex Rae Punk’ gets straight to its guitar riff, settling into a slow chug that gives Haas plenty of room to lead. Their vocal is superb here, carrying the song’s hurt with a directness that makes the relationship behind it feel close. The guitar decorations around the chorus give the arrangement a lift, introducing melodic detail above that persistent rhythm. Haas has explained that the song revisits the first piece they wrote with Harms in 2019, with an earlier version appearing during their time as v0idb0ys. Returning to it with Starr brought fresh harmonies and the chance to explore the heavier approach they had originally considered. That history gives the song a particular poignancy. These are old feelings being sung by people who have continued living and playing since they first wrote them down. The lyric “I’ll look around for you” suggests how a relationship can continue affecting your attention long after it ends, leaving you recognising traces of someone in other places. Then there’s Starr’s wonderfully unruly guitar solo, its effects taking the sound into stranger territory while the song retains its underlying weight. I love how much personality that passage brings, adding another voice to a song already full of unfinished feeling.
The conversation between bass and drums at the beginning of ‘Twenty Seconds’ immediately changes how you listen. Their phrases leave openings for each other, and Harms’ vocal seems to supply the missing beat when it enters. This is the arrangement that really gets me thinking about how closely these musicians listen to one another. You can hear each part in relation to the next, with the gaps helping to establish the rhythm. The use of empty space is inspired. Those brief absences keep you anticipating what comes next and make the musicians’ responses feel especially alert. Gibson contributes vocals and guitar here, extending the collaborative approach beyond the quartet. For me, the pleasure is in how the performance keeps that conversational quality intact. The band allow you to hear the decisions within the arrangement, and the spaces become as absorbing as the notes themselves.
‘Bird’ arrives all mellow like, ready to close the EP. Approached with MX LONELY’s particular sense of weight and proportion of course. Haas and Harms sing it as a duet, putting their shared vocal presence at the centre. After the rhythmic interruptions and guitar effects of the preceding tracks, there’s something especially satisfying about hearing the pair given this setting. I particularly like the half time chorus, which opens the song up through a change in feel. The broader rhythm gives the vocals more space and lends the chorus a fullness that suits its place at the end of the EP. Bass and drums play with real sensitivity throughout, supporting the ballad’s pace and emotional tone. Rapp’s approach to these sessions feels relevant here, with the percussion responding to what the song needs. Garman’s bass gives that performance a steady presence underneath. It’s a beautifully judged ending, and the care within the playing leaves as strong an impression as the heavier moments earlier on.
Perfect House makes a persuasive case for revisiting an idea when you have the right people around you. Across four songs, MX LONELY find room for the uneasy repetition of a relationship, the continuing effects of heartbreak, the discomfort of city life and the closeness of two voices sharing a ballad. I’ve particularly enjoyed how much attention the rhythm section rewards, whether through the opening bass of ‘March 16’, the spaces in ‘Twenty Seconds’ or the sympathetic playing on ‘Bird’. Haas and Harms remain central to the emotional connection, while Starr and Gibson bring contributions that feel fully part of the songs. Give this EP your time and listen to how those individual performances work together. MX LONELY have made a Perfect House with plenty of room for everyone involved.
Perfect House is out now on cassette via Julia’s War Recordings. You can check it out over on the MX LONELY Bandcamp page.
You can follow MX LONELY on social media here…
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