Just Mustard’s energy fails to live up to recorded music at Brudenell Social Club
Hot off the back of the release of their second album, Irish 5 piece Just Mustard graced the iconic Brudenell this past Sunday.
Opening the night were Leeds locals Loungewear, who brought a heavier lo-fi noise to the Brudenell. This was the first time I had managed to catch them and having not listened beforehand, I was glad I had made it down to the Brudenell for doors. Loungewear benefited from a stellar rhythm section and truly showcased a rounded, established sound.
Having recently returned home after a stint as the main support for Beach House’s UK/EU tour, next up were three-piece White Flowers, having seemed to have only grown ever more confident in their performance. Bookended by two heavier acts, they provided an enchanting interval in the form of their recent EP Are You (2022). Hailing originally from Preston, the bandattempted to encapsulate the liminal and desolate emotions evoked by their hometown, particularly referencing the brutalist architecture and the writings of anti-capitalist theorist Mark Fisher.
Combining dreampop style ethereal vocals with intricate Northern post-punk, it would be tempting to lump White Flowers in with every other Slowdive, Cocteau Twins wannabe, but they manage to genuinely differentiate themselves from the rest. Accompanied by eerie visuals, the live exploration of Are You (2022) was as much an interactive exhibit, dipping their toes into ambient at times, than it was simply a sonic rendition. Of particular note from the new EP would be the titular ‘Are You,’ as well as my favourite from last year’s album ‘Help Me Help Myself’.
Finally, Just Mustard themselves graced the stage, launching into the opening track of their new album, Heart Under (2022), ‘23’. Conjuring comparisons of Cranes with Katie Ball’s hypnotic lead vocals, this album continued the band’s foray into a more dreampop inspired sound and away from the noisier shoegaze that helped them make their mark. Despite turning to a softer sound, the distinctive post-punk bass and ominous tone has followed them.
Just Mustard have notably elbowed their way into a more prolific scene after signing to Partisan (IDLES, Cigarettes After Sex) in 2020. Having just finished a world tour with label mates Fontaines DC, been handpicked by Robert Smith as openers, and releasing their second album to gushing reviews, Just Mustard have burst away from the more reserved era that have defined the past couple of years for the band. While being a long-time fan since their 2018 debut album Wednesday, it is undeniable that Just Mustard have truly come into their own in the last few years. Industrial notes and deeply textured layers define the depth and complexity of Heart Under, its third single‘Mirrors’ was a stand-out moment, hauntingly dreamy and doused in reverb. Taking the centre of Just Mustard’s set was acclaimed single, ‘Deaf,’ from their 2018 album Wednesday. With layered distortion and a noisier feel than their latter work, bringing to mind the works of Blonde Redhead, it is evident why such an album earned them a Choice Music Prize nomination.
Finishing on ‘Seed,’ a searing and enigmatic experiment that dabbles in a techno-tinged bass, Just Mustard came close to ending the night on that final punch it so needed. However, perhaps it was a combination of my high expectations, strong support, or that Leeds was the last night of a long UK tour, but Just Mustard failed to bring the night to a fulfilling close. That is not to say that Just Mustard were bad by any means, they simply just fell short of the energy and dynamism that I had expected of them. Heart Under is a fantastic album, its nuanced sound a perfect mixture of the hard and soft, the ethereal and the industrial; it is one of my favourites of this year so far. However, the experience of that was unable to be translated across into a live performance in a way that stood up to the recorded album. Their performance wasn’t enough to put me off and I would still readily attend again in the hope of them topping what seemed to be a inaccurate representation considering their reputation.
