It seems like they’ve never been away, but Mustard Plug are back with another full length on Hopeless Records, and contrary to popular belief, they haven’t radically changed their sound to become an acid jazz funk garage rock band with synthesisers and lyrics about how much they hate George Bush. Basically, if you like ska, you like Mustard Plug. It’s almost a rule. And, if you like Mustard Plug, you will always like Mustard Plug. There’s no gimmicks, no surprises, just simple, brass filled ska nonsense.
I could do two reviews of this record. The short one and the long one. So this is what I’m going to do :
SHORT REVIEW : Mustard Plug return with another album. It sounds exactly like Mustard Plug. Go figure.
LONG REVIEW : So here it is, ‘Yellow #5’, the follow up to 1999’s fantastic ‘Pray For Mojo’ and yet again, it’s chock full of fun filled, bouncing ska nuggets, guaranteed to get you skanking the night away. Notching one up for continuity, the ‘Plug haven’t disbanded to form local emo bands in the wake of the third wave ska ‘collapse’, they haven’t become jaded and tried to be experimental and innovative, while at the same time disillusioning their entire fan base. From the moment ‘Not Enough’ kicks in, you know where this is heading.
The previously mentioned opening track is probably the highlight of the record. Driving, anthemic ska punk of the highest order. The only problem with this is, unfortunately, this quality is not retained throughout the album. While it is far from being the only strong track on the record, I still feel that the other 10 tracks don’t live up to this strong start. The likes of ‘In Your Face’ and the subdued, almost reggae like bounce of ‘Already Gone’ pale in comparison.
Luckily, Mustard Plug are not afraid to pick up the pace a little, and when they do, they do it extremely well! ‘Safe’ is a driving punk-rock-with-horns interlude, reminiscent of fellow long-standing horn blowers, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, albeit let down by the relatively weak production. Which is another problem.
The band decided that after almost 10 years of touring, recording and various ska related shenanigans, they were at a place where they could produce their own record. While this is to be commended, as you probably wouldn’t have known if you weren’t told, it does leave a little to be desired. For example, the drumming on ‘No One But Myself’ does sound as if it was played by a small boy on some tom-tom’s, and at times, the brass is a little too low in the mix to make a considerable contribution to the songs. These are only minor niggles, however, and on the standout tracks, like the previously mentioned ‘Not Enough’, ‘Safe’, and ‘Just a Minute’, you’’ be too busy skanking and grinning like a fool to notice.
If you want a summary of the record, look at the ‘Short Review’. They’re certainly not breaking any musical barriers and they’re unlikely to convert and non-believers to the ska-punk cause, but if this is the kind of thing that gets you going, you really can’t go wrong with ‘Yellow #5’. While not quite as exciting as ‘Evildoers Beware’, or as comprehensive as ‘Pray For Mojo’, it’s certainly a record to be proud of for the veteran ska punks. Make sure you catch them on their January tour of the UK, as no matter how many times you listen to the record, it’s never a substitute for seeing these guys up on stage.
Ross
