Wonky pop used to be a thing – can we now all agree wonky indie is a thing? If so, mighty Leeds indie band Mush are a perfectly angular example.
Pointed lyrics about workplace stress, meltdowns and a general malaise are nonetheless presented in barnstorming style.
As ever, Dan Hyndman is arguably the band’s secret weapon – his voice is an eccentric blend of Felt-era Lawrence and Television‘s Tom Verlaine. His wild guitar blending with second guitarist Myles Kirk doesn’t hurt too.
This, the third album oozes confidence, but never complacency. They’re too restless and clever for that. So, Karoshi Karaoke has little Beefheartian breaks, Get On Your Soapbox falls between a vintage children’s TV show and oddball psychedelia and Ink Block & the Wedge is a wayward squall which u turns and u turns again.
Meanwhile, the sweet melancholy of Dense Traffic provides a moment of contemplation and Northern Safari seems tailored to student dancefloors.
Forget the clichés about indie boys and guitars: Mush make it all sound vibrant and fresh again. You know, for a bunch of supposed slackers in thrall to the 90s, they’re pretty damn tight. Wonky in the best ways.