Just Mustard – Heart Under (2022)

I like Fontaines DC, and even though I’ve never written anything about them, I’ll be eternally grateful to them because it was through them that I reached your countrymen Just Mustard (laughs).

Running outside an ‘imaginary alternative scene’ with great bands – such as Fontaines, Idles, Dry Cleaning, Wet Leg, Horsegirl (these last three house favorites) and others – the Irish quintet appeared in 2015, already in the following year recorded an eponymous EP and in 2018 released Wednesdayhis first full album.

Those who heard it went crazy at that “Cranes of the 21st century”, and among the listeners were Robert Smith, who invited them to open shows for the Cure in 2019 and the aforementioned sources of direct current, with whom they not only toured but started to share the same label, Partisan Records.

The band then started planning the debut at the new house, but then came the damn pandemic and they, like all of us (or at least almost all of us, after all, there are denialists. Except those who are dead for not getting vaccinatedbut fuck them) found themselves trapped in the chaos of forced confinement. But it is in chaos that it is created, and thus they created it. AND bitch who gave birth to them, created THE ALBUM.

Yes, I know I’m a bit given to exaggeration when I like something, but Heart under it’s one of those records that swallows you up; you press play or dial down on “23”, the voice of Katie Ball – which really reminds you of Alison Shaw of the Cranes – comes on and suddenly you are being digested somewhere between “Blue chalk” and “Sore” only to be calmly spat back to the sound of “Rivers”.

In the midst of all this you go through almost symphonic cascades of effects and noises, post-punk, shoegaze, dream pop, electronics ranging from trip-hop to industrial, post-rock, everything dense, dark and with the front as a guide. of light amidst the darkness Katie’s heady vocals.

Anyway (damn, how I hate my way of finishing texts…), I will no longer bother you with compliments or trying in vain to describe Heart under🇧🇷 Listen to it and let me know if Just Mustard isn’t your new favorite band.

Listen on the stalk!