“mustard_plug”
Mustard Plug
Pray For Mojo
Hopeless
Y’know, I absolutely love this record, but I’ve been at a complete loss when it comes down to explaining exactly why. I mean, Mustard Plug still sound ostensibly like the same band they were when I fell in love with 1993’s Big Daddy Multitude – a bit crunchier, perhaps, and definitely better produced (again courtesy of the ALL/Descendants team of Bill Stevenson and Stephen Egerton, this time assisted by Jason Livermore), but not a drastic change. Tracks like “Throw A Bomb,” “Everything Girl,” and “Lolita” are pure pop-punk-ska confections that are sure to get a crowd moving, and certainly stand proudly alongside past classics like “Too Stoopid” or “You.” I think the key here is that Mustard Plug have learned something most bands forget – the importance of consistency. Yeah, it’s important to grow as a band, but you can do that without losing what made people love you in the first place. The Ramones knew it, the Descendants know it, the Toasters know it, and Mustard Plug know it. It’s a damn good thing, as far as I’m concerned. Pray For Mojo may not set the world on fire, but it sure makes me happy, and if you’ve enjoyed the band in the past, it should make you happy, too.
Hopeless Records, P.O. Box 7495, Van Nuys, CA 91409-7495
