Mustardmind’s latest offering Peep EP was released last Friday and it is a dramatically tense, yet serene, work. By striking a balance between music’s digital and analogue sides, Peep EP touches upon current and classic sounds on its six songs. Peep EP is a cohesive collection of distinct songs, each tune offering up its own vibe while contributing to that of the record as a whole.
Peep EP opens with “Glitch” which has a groovy, halting rhythm and a grinding, palm-muted guitar line that begins the through line of tension that runs through the EP. “Wiggle Room” features a jazzy, descending chord progression and cascading melody that surrounds the listener. The song’s dynamic bridge also deftly manages to alternate between beefy distortion and the delicate, brittle tone of a strummed clean guitar. While Mustardmind does conjure up a number of fantastic digital sounds and electronic creations on Peep EP, they also capture some great organic moments such as the stellar vocal breakdown of “Wiggle Room” as well as its many nuanced guitar tones..
‘Bizarro Versions of You” is an example of such tones with the clean chrome strum of one guitar and the percussive distortion of another. Both are laid against the song’s silvery outline of synths and soaring vocal harmonies. On “The Clause”, roiling electronic tones and chiming arpeggios and synths layer upon one another while “The Amulet” opens with a funky riff and stuttering drum pattern that underscores its evocative lyrics. “Working for the Bad Guys” closes the EP with cinematic lyrics and instrumentation. Crystalline arpeggios and razor sharp synths punctuate the song’s driving digital beat while floating vocal harmonies offset the tune’s rising tide of tension.
Peep EP is available now. You can follow Mustardmind on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SoundCloud, and Bandcamp.
