Mustard Slim hails from Northern Utah, and is led by singer/guitarist Aaron Rollins. He describes their debut EP Mojy. as “fuzzy rock influenced by modern psychedelia.” Yes--and don’t forget the word fun.
From the opening number through to the final track, Mojy. was clearly a blast for the band to write and record. “Endro,” the opener, is reverb-soaked garage indie-pop. You can air-guitar along while singing the stream-of-consciousness words over an engaging melody. I have no idea what they’re talking about, even with the lyric sheet; it just doesn’t matter, though. This is ninety seconds of bliss and they’ve set the hook. As the record plays on, it gets fuzzier. “Purple Peregrine” starts like an ABBA disco groove run through Norman Greenbaum’s favorite distortion pedal, and then works in very cool bluesy guitar licks and solos. “ZoZo” takes the bluesy riffs and makes them heavier, almost Zeppelin-like, while still running them through the deep reverb. Maybe “ZoZo” is an oblique reference to one of the symbols on Led Zeppelin IV? Whatever it means, the track rocks with the band carrying off skillful changes in meter around their thick bluesy riffs. “Sluice” is a bit cleaner (although this is relative), and even heavier with the tuned-down guitars slamming power chords. As with the prior tracks, the guitar licks remain thick and bluesy, and the lyrics are open to your interpretation. The outro section was a highlight, as the band introduces some different harmonies for a nice variation. “Butter Brain,” the final track, is a nice combination of the tones from “Endro” and the later, tuned-low-and-played-slow feels. The guitar tones are just fantastic; they’re so low and growly at points that you can almost hear the band grinning as they laid this track down. It’s a fitting end to a strong debut EP. Guitars, reverb, you-tell-me lyrics, well-constructed tunes and fuzz everywhere: Mojy. is a great start for Mustard Slim. Give them a dozen minutes of your ear time and enjoy the trip.
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