It’s been eons since I’ve written one of these album recommendation things, so please bear with me. I first came to learn about Just Mustard while reading an interview late last year with a former member of 90s Irish band Whipping Boy (whose second album, Heartworm, recently a received 25th anniversary repackage reissue and is one of my favorite albums of all-time!). In the interview, he was tasked with naming current Irish bands that he finds worth noting. Just Mustard caught my eye as an especially bad name, but it was the only name I remember him listing, so mission accomplished. By the time I got around to checking them out, they were releasing singles leading up to their second LP, Heart Under, which came out at the end of May, which I’ve been listening to relentlessly ever since!
I have not investigated their earliest material yet, but plan to do so. I am imagining that this is a musical departure and quite a sophisticated one at that. The sound of Heart Under is one that lives in the same atmospheric universe as Joy Division’s “I Remember Nothing” crossed with the cinematic scope of Portishead. It’s very stark and spooky and harsh. The vocals of Katie Ball are a background haunt behind the very steady, up front beats of Shane Maguire, and the twin guitars of David Noonan and Mete Kalyon that stab and howl out strange rough metallic sounds – resembling old long dormant machines beginning to grind and whir back into motion – and a low end, provided by bassist Rob Clarke that comes in like that same massive machine’s engine Earth shaking the entire scene.
As I’ve grown older, my musical journey has seen my tastes evolve and streamline. Though, as a young man discovering the extremes in sound, I probably swore I’d never mellow out, I find that I have always been most drawn to music that contains a catchy hook or a captivating melody. Much like my choosing Low’s HEY WHAT LP as my favorite of 2021, Heart Under may be a contender for 2022! I may not be done with experimentalism after all! It’s refreshing to hear bands stretching out and this is my small way of showing appreciation.
Surprisingly, the most traditional song structures are saved for the second half of the album. I suppose they wanted us to note right away that this is going to be a focused statement and it is! The lyrics are very fitting for the mood. They are pretty abstract for the most part, but seem to dabble in dissatisfaction with one’s self. The repetitive plea from Katie Ball to “change my head” is uncomfortable and identifiable, as is the wonderful “Mirrors,” my favorite track, that covers that feeling many of us encounter as we age of not recognizing what we see looking back at us. It can also happen to those of us, who don’t particularly like who we are.
Many smart people have told me that Just Mustard’s sound reminds them of 90s UK band Cranes. I can hear it, I was often fascinated by their music, but I never particularly liked Alison Shaw’s baby vocals – found them a distraction. Perhaps I’ve changed, though I can hear similarities with Ball’s vocals, hers remind me more of The Sundays’ Harriet Wheeler. At any rate, I fear I may be giving off a vibe that this is a difficult album, but it’s not! It does challenge the listener a bit, but if you buy in, it is a fascinating and rewarding album that continues to please over repeated listens.
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