ALBUM REVIEW: Great. – Muttering
With a new prime minister pushing Britain to the brink again, a cost of living crisis that doesn’t seem close to ending, and an isolating reliance on social media to survive as a community, modern living might as well have you down in the dumps. Indie-emo trio MUTTERING don’t offer a solution nor an escape on debut album Great., but instead they provide a shoulder to cry on and a wall to shout at.
Following the rewarding introduction of 2021’s Don’t Think About It EP, MUTTERING take their blueprints and build out a prototype for their satirical, sardonic, social commentary on Great.. Whilst vocalist Chaz Bush delivers quintessentially British quips on living in a post-Brexit, post-pandemic England, guitarist Tom Hill and drummer Johnny Bennett soundtrack an American invasion, fusing the urgency of Brooklyn indie revival bands like BEEN STELLAR are leading with lo-fi emo’s jangly soundtracks and the charming, chanty sensibilities of alt-pop a la HOZIER and SLEEP TOKEN.
No two songs stay in the same lane long enough to sound like MUTTERING have developed their own identity yet, which lends Great. a rollercoaster pace that feels jarringly jutting. The Shores Of Eden Pt 1’s acoustic seaside stroll is stripped apart by Only Destructive’s stormy, midwest-emo jangle, before Tallest Buildings topples everything with it’s Brooklyn-indie meets folk-punk frenzy, leaving you feeling lost in their labyrinth. Guilty Party deals the worst hand, switching several times in the same song, from the kind of Americana-tinged alt-rock DEAF HAVANA wouldn’t bat an eyelash at in the verses, to word-of-mouthy post-punk bridges, before climaxing on the chaotic emo-punk of The Dream Is Over-era PUP in the choruses.
Where they might fall behind in pacing themselves on Great., MUTTERING succeed in creating audio candy you can chew on for days. Whether it’s the radiant light of Soap Box’s lo-fi blitz and Modern Living’s jangle-pop sensitivity, or The Shores Of Eden Pt II’s world-building drum fills that chime in like wind through your hair, there are rewards for repeat listens. But the trio are at their best when they’re tying their music intrinsically to their lyrics, like on 21st Century – as Bush begs “distract me, 21st century distractions,” a rumbling rhythm section roars over his vocals, distracting your attention away from his vocal approach. It’s a subtle trick up their sleeves they chuck out here and there to great effect.
Whilst Great. packs heaps of potential for MUTTERING’s future musically, in a genre ripe for revolutionising right now, it’s Bush’s lyrical prowess and vocal delivery that truly makes this album stand out from the crowd. Listening to Great. is a lot like holding up a mirror to modern Britain, and whilst what they’re singing might be nothing new, the way it’s dealt is moving. Take Modern Living’s dissociative yet impassioned cry for help as Bush says “I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening again / I was just looking at my phone / Have you seen what’s going on? / Look’s like everything is going wrong.” Whilst they tackle our reliance on social media, and our failed state of affairs as we navigate a post-Brexit, post-pandemic Britain, it ultimately comes to a head on closer This Is Eden, as Bush defiantly cries out “we didn’t expect Eden, but there’s gotta be more than this.”
Whilst urgent bangers like Soap Box and Tallest Buildings add fuel to the fire, Great.’s shining centrepiece is the shadowy Snake Oil. Its echoing piano bleeds out into a commanding, singer-songwriter alt-pop performance that’s the audio equivalent of SLEEP TOKEN and HOZIER getting caught up in a political conspiracy. Whilst Snake Oil could’ve easily fallen behind other tracks on the album, Bush’s encapsulating, heart-wrenching delivery brings you to tears as he continuously questions himself on “Why did I have to follow you into the dark? / You’ve been sipping on that snake oil every time you get the chance.” Whether it’s a matter of personal heartbreak or political mistrust is a blank you can fill in yourself.
On Great., MUTTERING continue to paint a picture of modern Britain with a soundtrack designed to sing your heart out to. If they can iron out exactly what they’re trying to sound like, they could quite easily become leaders of their own scene.
Rating: 8/10
Great. is set for release on September 9th via Beth Shalom Records.
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