“WE WERE JUST HERE” - Just Mustard
Released October 24, 2025 through Mushroom.File under: wall of sound/shoegaze
WE WERE JUST HERE is the third full length LP from Ireland’s Just Mustard, and it’s a massive wall-of-sound, with a huge underlying bass track across each track, and the bright vocals supplied by singer Katie Ball. Guitars are meticulously layered, from clean jangly rhythms to outright harmonic distortion like the screaming of an animal heard from another room, all very carefully crafted into the soundscape. The drums seem to occupy the back of the room, but always driving the music forward.
There’s a menace about the music in this album, and it acts as a foil to the sweet songbird vocal track. Some moments are reminiscent of Jesus and Mary Chain, others like BDRMM, and throughout there’s a controlled chaos unfolding bolstered by the deliberately spacious production, creating a tension between the intimacy of they lyrics and the vastness of an echoey stadium. And this is the real magic of WE WERE JUST HERE. What is striking about the album is that it seems loud, no matter the volume it’s played at; the wall-of-sound aesthetic overrides the initial shoegazeyness of the album. That said, it is better played loudly.
The more I listen to this, the better it gets, and I can’t think of a better compliment of a record than that. It’s more than just s series of songs, it’s a sonic journey played out over 10 songs in 39 minutes. Jonathon Boylan says in his review on the Headstuff blog “This is one of the most sonically interesting albums of the year.” And I am 100% in agreement with this statement.
Listen to “WE WERE JUST HERE” on:Apple Music }|{ Spotify }|{ Tidal
One I missed
“Is It Now?” - Automatic
Released September 26, 2025 through Stone’s Throw.File under: alt-pop/punk-pop
Is It Now? is Automatic’s third studio album, and the L.A. 3 piece haven’t sounded better. Pared back, immediate, catchy and punk, the album sounds like it’s peering into the present the 80s post-punk era, but plays as fresh as anything for the 20st century.
On listening, influences are apparent; from Stereolab, to Ladytron, to Gang Of Four, to New Order, to The Go-Gos (In fact the band name Automatic is attributed to a track of the same name by The Go Go’s). Drum tracks vary from sampled loops to breakbeats to percussive licks and back beats; bass holds the backbone of every track; synths hold front of stage, playing several roles in the mix.
For people who like Stereolab, Ladytron, Working Men’s Club, Gang Of Four, Kraftwerk, DEVO and New Order.
Listen to “Is It Now?” on:Apple Music }|{ Spotify }|{ Tidal