EP REVIEW: Whatever The Weather – Mouth Culture
Life continues. Even when things get bleak, the earth keeps turning. So you can either let whatever is going on destroy you or you can use it to make yourself a better person. It’s a lesson that we all continue to learn in life time and time again. It’s a lesson that Leicester indie-rock trio MOUTH CULTURE learnt during the last six months. Where their previous EP Mishaps Of My Mid-Twenties was a raw EP that shone a light on how your twenties can sometimes feel like swimming in the ocean without a life jacket, its follow-up Whatever The Weather sees the band looking on the brighter side of life and being comfortable in your own skin.
It is clear from the upbeat guitar riff that opens Dead In Love, the first song on the EP, that the band are at the top of their game here, feeling incredibly comfortable in their sound. Although the lyrics may seem morbid upon first listen, as they talk about death, upon repeated listens one realises that they are also about embracing life and love. Next track No Shame sticks to the band’s rock sound, but it’s darker and grungier, with heavier guitars and drums, while still being distinctly MOUTH CULTURE. There are some electronic elements mixed into the bridge of the song, which builds to a fantastic final chorus that again embraces the band’s heavier side.
Little Wednesday returns to an upbeat indie rock sound, whereas Happier is a slightly slower song that picks up the pace in the chorus. Closer Everyday has a mellow start with a lone guitar riff before the rest of the song kicks in. It’s a slow-paced song that some might view as a sad end to such an upbeat EP, but it is also a welcome break from the fast-paced, upbeat sound of the rest of the record. Pacing wise, the EP is never too fast or too slow, despite a few of the songs being under three minutes long. Whilst it does stick to the band’s indie rock sound, there are a few songs where they explore other sounds. This not only keeps things fresh, but also shows that they are branching out without disrupting the flow of the EP.
Overall, Whatever The Weather is a fantastic EP by one of the most exciting indie rock bands. It’s an exercise in quality over quantity, and a cohesive sounding EP with some experimentation thrown in for good measure. The band feel confident in their sound, and their lyrics of optimism are lessons that we can all learn from. MOUTH CULTURE are one of the most inventive rising bands, and Whatever The Weather is a brilliant addition to their discography with a simple but effective message: no matter what you’re going through, life continues, so it’s best to embrace it.
Rating: 9/10
Whatever The Weather is set for release on October 4th via InVogue Records.
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