REVIEW: Molly Vulpyne Band - Houndstooth And The Hum
- Jakub Tomasz Czaicki
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
The haunting, loving embrace of the fog-filled dew, the wonder of the Emerald Isle rising into the heavens in the distance. The car, its warmth, its finality, driving silently through; one less passenger than you arrived with inside. But you’re there. You’ve survived- bloodied, battered and bruised- but you, victorious, have survived. Such a scene, backdrop worthy of a generational film of the early 2000s, is precisely the Hollywood-like alternative rock passion brought forth by the MOLLY VULPYNE BAND with their hard-hitting debut album, Houndstooth And The Hum.
The result of a passion project towards authenticity in music gone perfect, the band features not only the titular MOLLY VULPYNE of THE VULPYNES, band curator after the success of her then-solo EP Amortise in 2024, but a cadre of talented musicians ever-coalescing the delightful Irish punk scene. PETER JONES and JAY BAGNALL join in support on guitar and drums; some of Ireland’s heaviest hitters, forefathers of PARANOID VISIONS, co-conspirators with the legendary STEVE IGNORANT. Keeping this whole show somehow on its tracks is TONY CARBERRY of the LEE HARVEYS on bass, providing integral spice ensuring audio perfection. From CRASS to MERYL STREEK, the MOLLY VULPYNE BAND prove Irish punk will never die, and walk proudly and deservedly in a truly starred tradition – much to the likely annoyance of U2.
Totalling ten tracks of terrific bliss, the band’s debut includes both old and new- remastering some of Molly’s singles like Hook, Inertia Right Hand Man, My Expiry and Ur a Fad x with new studio-derived mastery. Sweetening a deal already devilish in its delight, the debut also provides brand new pieces of dream-like art. It Don’t Fit, following the explosive deluge of rock from Hook perfectly, tracks the melancholy of creative visions entrapped in a society ever-increasingly antagonistic to the very concept of inspiration, let alone art. Boasting brilliantly layered guitars and a drum of which you distinctly hear every beat, the track feels as if crashing, collapsing around you- yet not violently, not in panic, but in a serene longing for the romanticism of the clean slate.
Much has been said of these ethereal ambiances audible throughout the MOLLY VULPYNE BAND: with well-earned comparisons to Twin Peaks particularly apt. Instead, however, we would like to offer an even closer comparison, of alternate but equally massively complimentary proportions. One equally inspired by the works of David Lynch, a seminal piece of art of the 2000s in its own right, and yet still criminally underrated for its musical accompaniment. In those restless, verdant dreams, we still see that town – and while here that town is Dublin, the band beautifully reminds of the stellar work composed by AKIRA YAMAOKA and MARY ELIZABETH MCGLYNN throughout the Silent Hill series. Complimentary in hauntingly harsh ensembles of guitars, inspirational yet melancholic drums and the ever-present eternal bass groove, there is bountiful reason the debut so reminds of haunted survival. MOLLY’s vocals particularly hit similar masteries of tone, style and sheer emotion as MCGLYNN’s, ensuring any listener of the Houndstooth And The Hum will find themselves as if the protagonist of a horror experience they know they can live, as long as they endure. If between the two tracks of Hook and It Don’t Fit an entire cinematic experience can be fit, then only further greatness lingers between the rest.
I Wanna Be Your Filter particularly stands out; it’s jumpier groove and more deliciously vindictive tone a perfect romanticism of love turned addiction, delightfully manic invocations for you to stay. A point must be made to mention the sheer clarity of the mixing: no lie is there in hearing every drum beat; every vocal, every guitar string, every pull of the bass fantastically echoes through each song. 14, on the other hand, is a light-as-a-feather melody recounting the crushingly infinite pressure of a kind of unknowable, individual and eternally heavy pressure that all may relate to; doing well in its quest to teach how to grieve. Ripe follows first in this trend of melancholy at first, before descending into a fine showcase of just what the band can accomplish when furthering their heaviest sound- with Ode To Your Farewell a classic punk angered encore of bright, bright light.
The astute may have noticed that is only nine of the ten songs. There is another. Hidden, hiding between the lines, slam poetry tucked between the guitar strings. It is worth being found.
The MOLLY VULPYNE BAND has made something truly special. Tenured skill meeting pioneering progress in punk rock solidarity, Houndstooth And The Hum makes more than a hum- it makes thundering waves across the entire scene. Stuffed with singles and new releases, one can only hope for even more in the band's future. And of course, if they were to ever cover One More Soul To The Call from Silent Hill: Homecoming, we’re certain no one would complain.
Score: 8/10
Houndstooth And The Hum will be released on 6th of March 2026, via FOAD Musick.
Words: Jakub Tomasz Czaicki
Photos: Molly Vulpyne Band
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