Album Review: Mutes - Dreams of Being Cornered

Mutes - Dreams of Being Cornered

This is the first review for the site from Dan Tanswell. Dan is a non-binary North Walian writer living in Cardiff. They are mostly sustained by biscuits and white noise.

 I haven’t written anything for a long time - I’m being honest, maybe too honest - not anything that anyone has read anyway.  I’m finding things I was good at as a kid therapeutic and the other thing is writing about music is a great way for the analytical area of the brain to get a good work out.

I came at this release blind. The press pack describes Mutes as a ‘prog-punk trio’, but I was pleased to find this release leaned into the prog element of that really hard. The opener is a lo-fi Porcupine Tree-esque affair that feels like it was designed to ease us in before track 2 jolts us awake. 'Identifier' switches between layered guitars and melodies and more distorted driving heavier riffs with ease and I wouldn't be surprised if this was the next single. It’s more Biffy Clyro than Alkaline Trio and all the better for it.

The third track is previous single 'Modern Waste'. The idea of breaking the track almost in two (spoilers) doesn’t quite work. It’s a strong song that feels like it has been split into two. The two singles are separated by ambient track 'Room 1'. 'With Severe Clear', the new single landing bigger hooks and being noisier than the previous single following the instrumental. 

The track really showcases the best of what the band can do and its noisier parts make the picked parts and hooks even sweeter. There are elements of this and track two 'Identifier' that remind me of Manic Street Preachers and parts that are more Queens of the Stone Age - with tracks like 'Syndromic' having me check google maps for any deserts in the Midlands.

The album has four ambient tracks and while I enjoyed all of them,  'Dragged by the Hand' suffers from leading into the dreamy intro to album closer 'Sole Reflection'. It’s just a little too much filler and it can allow your concentration to wander off. Sadly, some tracks don’t quite work as well as others,  'Sainted'  for example, doesn't seem to fit quite right sat in the middle of the album, but perhaps these are minor critical nuances.

'Dreams of Being Cornered' was recorded in two days and at times it shows. The ideas are great and as musicians, they are outstanding. Mark Gittins does a great job on the mixes and I just wish they'd had more time to develop some of the tracks. All in all, despite the limitations that the album has had to deal with in the recording process, it is enjoyable and shows a band looking to move their sound to the next level.

                                  

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