October 2021 was not as prolific a month for music as August and September, but it still produced some worthwhile and enjoyable projects. Some of my favorite music of the month includes the introspective singer/songwriter of Lana Del Rey’s Blue Banisters and Magdalena Bay’s melodic synthpop on Mercurial World; however, no project could top the playful indie pop of illuminati hotties’ Let Me Do One More.
illuminati hotties, created in 2017, is the solo project of Los Angeles-based musician, producer, mixer, and audio engineer Sarah Tudzin. She released her first album under this moniker, Kiss Yr Frenemies, in 2018 and followed it up with the mixtape-esque FREE I.H: This Is Not The One You’ve Been Waiting For in 2020. However, illuminati hotties were not on my radar until I heard their excellent indie rock single “MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA” on the radio in April 2021. After hearing the quirky and memorable energy of that track, Let Me Do One More quickly became one of my most highly-anticipated releases of the year, and I’m glad to say that it mostly delivers on the promise of its singles.
The album gets off to an incredible start with the back-to-back “Pool Hopping” and “MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA”. “Pool Hopping” opens with a smooth guitar riff before diving into the catchiest melody I’ve heard all year; seriously, I’ve not been able to get this melody out of my head after first hearing it over a month ago – listen at your own risk. But, nonetheless, it is indicative of Tudzin’s incredible strength when it comes to sculpting melodies and phrases that stick with the listener long after the album is over.
On “MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA”, the record’s playful energy continues as Tudzin flexes her dynamic vocals over a dissonant but rhythmic guitar line. Just on the first verse, she utilizes three distinct voices to create the sense of a desperate and mercurial speaker. The bridge of this track is incredible as well; its call-and-response section never fails to make me laugh and the remainder of it continues the charisma of the rest of the track. While the lyrics on Let Me Do One More are far from the best quality, it seems that the album’s thesis statement comes during the bridge of “MMMOOOAAAAAYAYA” when Tudzin sings, “If you’re not laughing, then you’re not making money.” Upon first listen, this line may come across as materialistic, but, upon closer examination, it seems to posit that any material gain is worthless if you aren’t happy. It’s this search for contentment that drives much of the record.
While I’m not a huge fan of the following track, “Knead” (it comes across as little more than a Nirvana song played in the style of My Bloody Valentine), the album regains pace with “Threatening Each Other re: Capitalism”. While the verses of this track are not anything spectacular, the hook is one of the album’s standout moments. The rising and falling melody of Tudzin’s voice creates a sense of disenchantment that is so hard to recreate in music.
The next track, “u v v p (feat. Buck Meek)” is my favorite track on the record. There’s a certain brand of love song centered around a desperate longing bordering on hopelessness that, while rare, always carries a sense of profound loneliness with it; songs like Bob Dylan’s “I Want You”, Palaye Royale’s “Ma Chérie (feat. Kellin Quinn)”, and Belle and Sebastian’s “Sunday’s Pretty Icons” belong to this group, and “u v v p (feat. Buck Meek)” follows in the tradition. The lyrics to the song are quite simple, but powerful in their concision: “Every time I hear a song/I think about you dancing/Every time I meet someone/I fall in love”.
After “Protector”, another lackluster track, “Joni: LA’s No. 1 Health Goth” brings back the high-octane energy from the beginning of the album with a track calling back to the peak of the riot grrrl scene. Tudzin’s vocals continue to oscillate between a passionate guttural voice and a nasally whining one, both of which are great fun to listen to; I am continuously impressed by the fine line she walks between charisma and obnoxiousness when using these voices.
“Kickflip” and “Toasting (feat. Alex Menne)” are two more subpar tracks that unfortunately dampen the record’s impact. I’m very disappointed in “Toasting”’s brevity; at a meager 37 seconds long, it is by far the record’s shortest song. However, it is jam-packed with some of the album’s catchiest melodies and most interesting ideas. I really wish we could have seen this track expanded to a full length.
Luckily, the album ends strongly with the three-track run of “The Sway”, “Cheap Shoes”, and “Growth”. “The Sway” is one of the album’s more laid-back tracks and features some very interesting interplay between an acoustic guitar and a pre-programmed percussion track. “Cheap Shoes”, while it doesn’t fully develop its central metaphor, is still a fun 80’s-inspired art punk track; however, “Growth” is the real stand-out among these tracks. After an album of hiding behind myriad voices, criticizing others, and generally separating herself from her art, “Growth” is a genuine show of vulnerability from Tudzin. The track, in its final verse, fully recontextualizes the rest of the album. I’m going to include it here in its entirety, because I truly believe it is one of the most powerful verses of the year:
“Each time I come home
I still look for my dog
It’s a force of old habit
It’s not that I forgot
For a second I’m alright
‘Til I realize she’s gone
I guess being an adult is just being alone
I’ll go back to the couch, let you stare at your phone
We’ll pretend this is normal
We’ll pretend this is growth
Let me do one more”
Tudzin wants nothing more than to return to the past. The past where her dog was still with her, where face-to-face interaction was expected, where she wasn’t expected to constantly grow, where she wasn’t alone. This isn’t an album of emotionally-detached songs, but of hiding behind the glowing sheen of smooth guitar licks and clean melodies inspired by the music she grew up with. She’s not trying to escape her past, but to return to it. She only wants another chance to grow up. She pleads: “Let me do one more.”
The Verdict: For its catchy melodies, dynamic vocals, and perspective-shifting final song, Let Me Do One More is October 2021’s Album of the Month.
Listen: Let Me Do One More – Album by illuminati hotties | Spotify