Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: Out Now
Label: Krauted Mind Records
Their blend of psychedelia with grunge and stoner rock/doom is a highly
sought after formula and Mother Mooch are keeping the secret closely guarded -
and rightfully so. ‘Nocturnes’ is an
astounding album from a band that have the potential to conquer the world.
“Nocturnes” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1). This Tempest
2). Sinners
3). My Song 21
4). Into the Water
5). L.H.O.O.Q.
6). Misery Hill
7). Hive Mind
8). Out On the Western Plain
The Review:
Mother Mooch are a 5-piece psychedelic doom
grunge outfit from Dublin , Ireland
Comprising
of 8 tracks in total, the album has a diverse range of styles in the mixing
pot. The first track, entitled ‘This
Tempest’ kicks off the album and straight away you get the psychedelic
grunge sound with a superbly tripped out intro that gives vocalist Chloë Ní
Dhúada all she needs to give you a taste of her incredibly soulful voice. It’s
an effortless display of vocal-work and becomes very hypnotising as the album
progresses. The track slows down into a great jam around the 3-min mark and
guitarist Sid Daly provides the flaming lead guitar work over a great
grungy chord progression.
‘Sinners’ is the next track on the album
which starts off with a swinging guitar riff that you could listen to all day
without it losing it’s initial impact. The band make great use of this rhythm
and it works extremely well with Chloë’s vocals and the subtle touches of
backing vocals adding an extra layer of depth to the song. There are so many
different elements coming into play with this band and just when you think you
know what it sounds like, it changes ever so quickly. They have a huge slab of
the Palm Desert
scene in their sound with a raw Seattle
‘My Song 21’ is the third track on the
album and is probably one of their most grungy punk sounding songs. Very upbeat
and packed with energy, it’s a hell of a wild ride. It’s also the shortest
track on the album at 1:29 but it’s a great little blast of energy to remind
you these guys can put on an action packed live show.
‘Into the Water’ is the fourth track on
the album and begins with a beautiful clean sounding guitar riff. It patiently
glides along while the drums and bass wrap themselves into the mix
so perfectly. Yet again, Chloë’s vocals are so soulful and powerful and
the entire intro section is a work of art. Then before you know it, the main
riff of the song comes in and it is dripping in bluesy stoner rock goodness.
The coalescence between the clean sounding passages and the main riff is
incredible and they gel together perfectly to construct a truly outstanding
track. Around the 3:27 mark, the track takes flight into a final wah’d out
section of blasting tempos which brings it to a close.
Track
5, entitled ‘L.H.O.O.Q’ kicks
off with a bang and doesn’t fuck about from the get-go. Straight away we have
riffs, solos, ripping bass lines and crushing drumming. This is a total rocker
and the chorus section is undoubtedly catchy. ('The Mona Lisa in your head!')
‘Misery Hill’ is track 6 on the album
and yet again we’re slapped in the face with more killer riffs. The tag
‘psychedelic doom grunge’ is definitely the most accurate way of describing
this music. I just love the unreserved sense of calm in Chloë’s vocals no
matter what the music is doing. The chorus section in this track is one of my
favourites of them all. The way the riff leads the way and the backing vocals
give her a pedestal to belt out those sublime lyrics.
Track
7 ‘Hive Mind’ is definitely my
favourite song on the album. Believe me, seeing this live is a hell of a solid
performance and something you have got to see. It reminds me heavily of Tool
and the vocals are just out of this world. They capture this incredibly dark,
morbid sound so vividly. The drumming from Danni Nolan adds so much to this
track and really makes it a primal, intense experience. This song also contains
one of the most disgusting and filthiest riffs I’ve ever heard and just around
2:50 you will understand why. Total destruction everywhere. Danni returns in
with the drums, building the atmosphere once again. Guitarist Farl also does
some incredible work throughout this song and his precise style of playing goes
incredibly well Sid’s lead work.
The
final track on the album is ‘Out on the
Western Plain’. This is a story about cowboys and it ticks every box on
offer. Such a solid, driving rhythm throughout and the phaser sounds on the
guitars sound absolutely magnificent. Chloë’s vocal style is completely perfect
for this type of music and her nonchalant aura emanates through the music -
it’s controlled and soulful but loose and elegant at the same time. There are
some serious bass lines present and some more ripping cosmic solos from Sid on
this track and both guitars sound like the amplifiers have been erected on the
moon. This is probably my silver medal winner after ‘Hive Mind’.
‘Nocturnes’ is an
astounding album by a band that have so much potential to get recognised on a
global scale. They are without a doubt one of the best bands on the Emerald
Isle in the present day and this record is hard evidence to support such a
claim. Their blend of psychedelia with grunge and stoner rock/doom is a highly
sought after formula and Mother Mooch are keeping the secret closely guarded -
and rightfully so.
“Nocturnes” Vinyl Limited Edition is
available through Krauted Mind Records here and you can download the
album from Mother Mooch’s official
store here
FFO:
Electric Citizen, Purson, Blood Ceremony
