Few bands make it their mission to meet life head-on, not to escape it, but to sing right through the mess with their arms wide open. On ‘I Contain Multitudes’, long-running Irish alt-pop trio Stoat do exactly that, crafting a record that revels in the weirdness of being human without ever getting too heavy about it.
The album, recorded in band members’ homes before being polished by Grammy-nominated mixing duo Chris O’Brien and Graham Murphy, is a charming grab-bag of songs that traverse everything from therapy takeaways to existential burnout to spontaneous pub nights. It’s indie rock with a twinkle in its eye- think Belle and Sebastian if they swapped their notebooks for post-it notes scribbled with jokes and strange observations.
Tracks like ‘Why You Should Give Up On Your Dreams’ and ‘Things I Learned (Or Failed to Learn) in Therapy’ wear their titles like badges of honour- blunt, self-aware, and oddly comforting. Elsewhere, the buoyant ‘Yes Is The Best!’ and wistful ‘Let’s Be Strangers’ show Stoat’s knack for turning contradictions into sing-along moments. They don’t try to polish the rough edges of life- they harmonise with them.
There’s something deeply refreshing about how ‘I Contain Multitudes’ refuses the pull of irony for irony’s sake. Even its most deadpan lines carry an undertone of affection- for people, for experience, for the very act of being confused and carrying on anyway. It’s music that laughs not to avoid crying, but because the crying already happened and now you’re okay enough to laugh about it.
The album sticks to a simple, effective formula: jangly guitars, buoyant basslines, unfussy drums, and vocals that sound like they’re being sung by someone standing just a few feet from you in a crowded kitchen. It’s clever, but never smug.
In a world full of bands vying to sound bigger, louder, or more detached, Stoat’s modest ambition to simply be present feels quietly radical. ‘I Contain Multitudes’ isn’t an album that tries to fix your problems- it just wants to hang out with you while you’re figuring them out. And really, what more could you ask for?