Illuminati Hotties’ latest album Let Me Do One More is a collection of dazzling volatile-yet-vulnerable indie-pop.

Sarah Tudzin’s journey as an artist has been prolific. Originally starting out as an engineer and producer, Tudzin had already worked with Weyes Blood, Logic and Slowdive by the time of her breakout mixtape Free I.H. On her sophomore album and third full-length release as Illuminati Hotties, Sarah Tudzin delivers an explosive yet vulnerable collection of tenderpunk tunes. Let Me Do One More reflects on the songwriter’s life more than in previous releases. After some issues with their original label, Tudzin and the rest of her band were forced into a bizarre contract obligation that fortunately resulted in the Free I.H mixtape that came out in 2020 (one of our favourite releases from that year).

Let Me Do One More feels in many ways feels like a step up in artistry. There’s a more concise nature to the record, with deeper emotional content at its core. Tudzin reflects on the past in her lyrics but also optimistically looks forward with many comedic metaphors riddled throughout the album.

The album starts incredibly strong with joyously catchy ‘Pool Hopping’. Its simple call and response lyrics and chunky guitars catapult the album into sudden overdrive. The song serves as an analogue for Tudzin’s love life conjuring images of window-shopping and an optimistic view on the different possibilities. The additional guitar overdubs in the lead up to the last chorus are a gorgeous touch. ‘Mmmoooaaaaayaya’ is an equally ferocious track with even more grit. The jaded guitar stabs lead to a shockingly poppy chorus. This is another moment on the album where the destructive and almost experimental nature of Tudzin’s songwriting dissolves effortlessly into a more conventional pop style.

After these two powerful tracks, the album takes a more relaxed turn, with many of the tracks that follow feeling slower than the ones that preceded it. The chorus on ‘Knead’ loses the instantly memorable hooks of the previous two tracks but replaces them with hefty verses and captivating guitar riffs, at times reminiscent of early Weezer tracks.

‘Threatening Each Other re: Capitalism’ has a heart-wrenching chorus melody that plays well with images of purchasing spit from bottles. Tudzin sings “I’m getting tricked into long term commitments”, feeling like a desperate plea towards both personal relationships and capitalism itself. ‘u v v p (feat. Buck Meek)’ is one of the sweetest tracks on the album. Long gone are the intense sounds of ‘Mmmoooaaaaayaya’; instead, we’re left with a track that feels like “Illuminati Hotties do country”. It’s a surprisingly decent track though; the sweet vocal harmonies, sliding guitar, and Buck Meek give this track a bizarrely nostalgic dynamism.

‘Protector’ is another track on the album with harrowing emotional depth. Tudzin questions whether she’s sure of a relationship, comparing the object of her lyrics to keeping bugs out. In an attempt to discover whether the person in question would be able to protect her, there’s a sadness that comes, feeling shockingly pessimistic compared to many other Illuminati Hotties songs. ‘Joni: LA's No. 1 Health Goth’ opens with a public service style announcement thanking the listeners before blasting straight into scrappy riffing and thumping drum beats. This is a fun song lyrically, practically mocking the character described in the lyrics for obsessing about “Joni”. Tudzin conveys a sense of nigh-irrational jealousy in the lyrics “I bet she never looks your way”.

‘Kickflip’ is one of the tracks that stood out most on first listen. Its repetitive “Everyday is the same” couldn’t be better when you find yourself working on something every single day. There’s an in your face attitude on this track, like much of the album, that is instantaneously relatable. The dissatisfaction Tudzin describes in her songs seems to hold a deeper cultural analysis. Many of us face these issues in society, whether that is insecurity about relationships with people, striving for perfectionism or just generally being fed up and burnt out with work. 

The shortest track on the album, ‘Toasting’, starts out strong but at 37 seconds its playtime feels too short. Leaving the impression that the song is slightly underwritten, or at the very least could have been somewhat longer. This leads into “The Sway” a warm and peaceful track that doesn’t offer too much in terms of creativity compared with other Illuminati Hotties tracks but holds some of the most saccharine vocal performances on the record, especially as the song starts to build towards the end before coming back round to Tudzin’s cute and sweet singing style. Fortunately, “Cheap Shoes” is one of the strongest tracks on the record. This track sounds like a more sophisticated version of something that would be on their last release Free I.H. The Gentle vocals on the verses and choruses get obliterated towards the end by distorted jittering guitars.

Album closer ‘Growth’ is a sombre final performance. Trimming the aggressive side of Illuminati Hotties, Tudzin instead bears her soul with a solo acoustic guitar hymn. The album comes full circle at the very end; when Tudzin sits her guitar down before saying, “Let me do one more.” Where originally the title may have conjured a no fucks given attitude, the reality that comes here, is the insecurity that comes with perfectionism. This theme seems to run throughout the record, whether in Tudzin’s love life, family life or music itself.

Illuminati Hotties’ latest album Let Me Do One More is a collection of dazzling volatile-yet-vulnerable indie-pop. Tudzin doesn’t need to pretend that this is growth; it is. There’s an emotional depth in this project that wasn’t as commanding in her previous work. In terms of songwriting, the brightest moments are laced with vitriolic energy and tongue-in-cheek contemptuous lyrics. Tudzin outdoes herself on this latest endeavour, creating one of the finest tenderpunk records of 2021.