EP REVIEW: Mishaps Of My Mid Twenties – Mouth Culture

MOUTH CULTURE are taking the rock world by storm at the moment. The up-and-coming trio from Leicester have only been around since 2019, but their closeness to one another – they’ve lived together since the band’s inception – and their refusal to stick to one genre, flirting with grunge, alternative rock and indie rock, has seen them climb very high very quickly. Their latest EP, Mishaps Of My Mid Twenties, is about the ups and downs of the most crucial years of your life, and is set to send the band into the mainstream.

The opening grungy riff of Sharkbait sets the EP up well. Produced by Jamie Ward, instead of the band themselves as has been the case in the past, MOUTH CULTURE have never sounded better; they sound more confident and sure of themselves, and most importantly they sound like they are having a lot of fun. Whilst Don’t Pull Up might initially sound quite similar to the previous song, it gets a lot more different as it goes on. Of course, the chorus is a massive singalong that will sound amazing live, but it’s the pre-chorus and bridge that stand out as they showcase the best of vocalist Jack Voss, who shines most of all in the record’s quieter moments.

Again is a welcome respite from the fast pace of the first two songs. Going for a softer rock sound, the song still never loses momentum. It shows the best of the band, guitarist Mason Clifford and bassist Todd Groome no longer at risk of being lost in the noise as they might have been in the more energetic opening tracks. Cherry Red Rage meanwhile is the perfect mix of the softer and harsher sides of the band. Furthermore, the build-up to the final chorus is absolutely euphoric as the tempo swells before the band explode into a rock harmony.

Eventually, the band show the slower side of themselves with the acoustic/soft rock song Johnny Cold Shoulder. This doesn’t throw the pacing off either though, mainly because the band do not go full acoustic and instead keep some electronic instruments in there but just slow them down. Sunny Smile and the title track close the record, the former showing the band at their brit-pop best, with the most lively instruments and one of the best bridges of the EP. The latter then starts off slow-paced before gradually getting faster. It’s not as energetic as something like the opening song, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s a bit more melancholic lyrically, which makes sense as to why it would be a bit slower paced.

Overall, Mishaps Of My Mid Twenties is practically perfect, regardless of if you are a new fan of MOUTH CULTURE or been there since the start. It is clear that the band had a vision for this, and it has been fulfilled. The band are at the top of their game here. They have built upon their previous efforts to create a cohesive EP that is perfectly paced and shows off both their heavier and softer sides. It embraces all their different sounds whilst also looking towards the future, which is sure to be a bright one.

Rating: 9/10

Mishaps Of My Mid Twenties is out now via InVogue Records.

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