by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
The more we listen to Mums, the more we love their music. Hailing from Widnes, an industrial town not too far from Liverpool, the trio play a brand of noise rock that’s as much sludge pop as it is anything deranged and manic. With widescreen guitars that encapsulate everything like molasses coming down a mountain, Mums play it loud and heavy, but slow dripped and soaked in primal melodies. Guitars threaten to come apart at the seems, the fuzz blistering in all directions, recalling the joy in sustained decay and raw pop that we’ve come to associate with bands like Part Chimp, Torche, Cherubs, and maybe even some old-school Helmet records. The band have gone through several line-up changes as drummers have come and gone, but each time they seem to come out the better for the change. Led by the married duo of Jack and Roanne Evans and now joined by drummer Jonny Dickin, the three sound impennetrable throughout their second album, Legs, out September 22nd via Hex Records (US) and Society Of Losers (UK). It’s a record with melodies ravaged by brute dissonance that somehow sound more radiant in the process.
Having already released Legs’ lead single “100 Kilos,” the band return with the syrupy crawl of “Who Said,” a song that’s instantly hooky as it drags itself through the dirt and debris. The guitars move between siren blasts and static quakes, seesawing with unnerving sonic density that just sort envelops instinctual melodic ground. The trio pound and chug from the fully formed intro into skeletal passages, drawing elements into a wonky dance of visceral patience and Harvey Milk-esque rupture. The sludge eventually comes to a shift in tempo, and the warning shots lead to a brief but relentless stampede. It’s a damn good time.
Speaking about the song, guitarist/vocalist Jack Evans shared:
“‘Who Said?’ is about the struggle of dealing with perfectionism as a musician when knowing full well that it doesn’t matter in any way; especially when all the intricacies of ‘mistakes’ are what can make something unique and special. ‘Who said things should be so perfect?’”