Leeds art-rock group Mush (Dan Hyndman - vocals / guitar, Phil Porter - drums, Nick Grant - bass, Myles Kirk– guitar) return with album ‘Down Tools’ via Memphis Industries. The new record marks the prolific band’s third album in as many years, following hype-building early singles ‘Alternative Facts’ and ‘Gig Economy’, 2020’s debut LP ‘3D Routine’ and 2021's acclaimed ‘Lines Redacted’, which pushed their sound further and, as Uncut wrote, saw them become “kindred spirits to Wand and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, two other bands prolifically honing their sound and approach, steadily developing their voice.” On ‘Down Tools’, this voice grows again into a more brilliantly singular sound. It sees Mush getting loose, moving away from the defined moods and textures of ‘Lines Redacted’ with a musical openness, straddling genres while avoiding pastiche. Hyndman says of the lyrics on ‘Down Tools’ that “there was a conscious decision to retreat further from an observational approach” with vocals being ad-libbed lending the record a more abstract feel. Hyndman continues: “this album is less dark than the previous one. The Armageddon obsession has eased, or at least the symptoms have become milder due to saturation. Musically there’s a lot more chill on the record – there’s a few more mellow tracks out there and the most astute listener may even be able to decipher some of the words, fingers crossed.”

Leeds art-rock favourites, Mush, have announced their new album Down Tools due to make this summer a brilliant one. Mush have always been experimental, but this album sees them become even more free sonically, perhaps thanks to the fact that many of the lyrics and guitar solos were improvised during recording sessions.

FFO: Crack Cloud, Holiday Ghosts, The Bug Club, Squid.

By Martha