I’ve loved Mäneskin since its first album. “RUSH” might pander a bit too much to American audiences, but I love it just the same. With 6.4 million followers on TikTok and Instagram, the Italian rockers had big expectations to fulfill. They’ve surpassed any and all expectations I had for them.
The first three songs on the album, “OWN MY MIND,” “GOSSIP” and “TIMEZONE,” seem to appease their younger fans, exploring themes of “sip(ping) the gossip” and long-distance relationships. Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello guests on “GOSSIP,” adding some of that Rage cadence to the music.
“BLA BLA BLA” is by far the silliest song on the album while remaining cool and sexy. It feels like they could be making fun of the modern pop-rock scene and their hard drug habits. The band hits on rather serious issues but downplays them to showcase the harm of toxic relationships.
Starting with questions often asked on first dates, “BABY SAID” maintains the band’s sexed up persona. The chorus of “Let me taste your silhouette / You can talk between my legs” is incredible (and incredibly hot).
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The next three songs are great but not all that memorable. “GASOLINE” is a great anti-war song that feels a little basic with the layered voices in the chorus. “FEEL” is rather nonsensical on purpose as the band is trying to use lead singer Damiano David’s voice as another instrument. “DON’T WANNA SLEEP” has a great concept of being glamorous but still lonely, although it is a rather tiring trope.
“KOOL KIDS” brings the listener back to the stage as the song feels like a live performance. David sounds a bit British, but that just might be because he recorded this song while drunk. This just might be the song I want to hear live the most.
“IF NOT FOR YOU” and “READ YOUR DIARY” are both cute love songs, but “IF NOT FOR YOU” is much more romantic. The strings section toward the end brings a Valentine’s Day feel to the already mushy gushy love song. “READ YOUR DIARY” follows the trope of becoming the girl so you can understand her better, which I always am a sucker for.
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The band goes back to Italian with “MARK CHAPMAN,” a song all about the dangers of stalking. I don’t speak Italian, but I do love the Italian songs much more than the English ones. David’s voice fits the instruments perfectly with his Italian cadence.
The Italian section comes to a close with “LA FINE” and “IL DONO DELLA VITA.” “LA FINE” is grungy and rougher than the other songs on the album, addressing concerns with the direction of the Italian government. “IL DONO DELLA VITA” is a slow burn rock song that is sure to make fans hot and bothered, making it one of the best in their discography.
Mäneskin has built up the hype for “MAMMAMIA” and it lives up to it. Its high energy rivals that of their Eurovision winning song and feels like a night in a dingy bar. It is by far the best song on the album and my personal pick for the most successful.
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“SUPERMODEL” paints an almost Kate Moss-like image of a ‘90s supermodel getting high to make it big. The lyrics show off the band’s storytelling abilities, but it doesn’t do much for me.
The final song, “THE LONLIEST,” closes the album perfectly with David reminiscing about lost love. Opening with the words “you’ll be the saddest part of me” is a heart-wrenching beginning of the end of the album. They could not have picked a better closer.
With a whopping 17 songs, “RUSH” is Mäneskin’s best album yet. If you like hot classic rock stars and even hotter lyrics with driving basslines, this is the album for you.
