Militarie Gun & Mannequin Pussy's 'World's Always Burning' is a Shimmering Masterpiece of Kindred Spirits
“World’s Always Burning” almost didn’t exist as a released song at all. Militarie Gun mastermind Ian Shelton has said the track got left off God Save The Gun because “it didn’t have the same thing to say as the rest of the record” — and then couldn’t stop thinking about it. “I’m obsessed with that song,” he’s said. “I want it out in the world.” Now it is, arriving as the centerpiece of the album’s deluxe edition (out August 7 via Loma Vista) with Mannequin Pussy’s Missy Dabice back for a second collaboration with Shelton.
The Sonic Breakdown
The Production & Mix
The Low-End: The track is built on a synth-and-guitar bed that stays surprisingly gentle for a Militarie Gun song, letting the low end simmer rather than slam — a deliberate step away from the band’s more hardcore-adjacent instincts.
The Spatial Dynamics: Shelton and Dabice’s vocals are mixed to sit right next to each other, silky against gritty, so the trade-offs feel conversational instead of competitive. It’s a shimmering, wide-open mix that gives both singers room to breathe.
Standout Performance
The chemistry is the whole story. Dabice and Shelton sound, as one critic put it, like “obvious kindred spirits” — their voices lean into and off of each other in a way that only really happens on a second collaboration, when two artists already know how the other one moves.
Why It’s Certified
Shelton has said the song is about watching a sense of community erode — “I can’t say whether or not the world is actually ending, but it certainly feels like the sense of community in the world is all but dead” — and that’s exactly the kind of weight this jangly, melodic arrangement makes easier to carry. It’s Militarie Gun’s continued evolution toward more melodic songwriting, and Dabice is the perfect foil for that shift. A B-side that outgrew the album it was cut from. Certified great.