In the summer of 2023, Muck and The Mires released the ‘Cool Imposter’ single. With a blend of 50s kitsch, late 60s garage rock guitar and one of the most repetitious hooks ever, it quickly marked out a place as one of their strongest tracks to date. Their 2024 EP ‘Zoom Breakup’ doesn’t quite summon the same fire – although always enjoyable in their own way, it would’ve been a tall order for its six numbers to reach the same heights of shameless infectiousness – but the release is certainly a more than welcome addition to the veteran band’s catalogue.
There’s instant enjoyment to be found with the help of ‘Six O’Clock Baby’ which thunders along with a massive 60s inspired riff, blending the shimmer and twang of garage rock with the incessant beat of a couple of Northern Soul bangers. A very natural vocal makes this easily recognisable as a Muck work, but the unfussy style suits the music well, adding an extra rawness throughout. Each of the musical elements is strong, but if anything stands out, it’s the twangy lead guitar which blends influences from The Seeds with early Who and The Byrds to create a huge, strident sound. The equally upbeat ‘Hey Sunshine’ applies the band’s garage-ish heart to an arrangement that feels a little more bubblegum-centric, sometimes opting for something a little lighter in tone, but its feel good grooves result in a Mires catalogue highlight. What this might lack in vocal finesse it makes up for with musical flair: the guitar work, always choppy and bright, absolutely nails the 60s pastiche sound that this band always aims to create, but its the punchy bass work that really holds everything together. Without ever resorting to anything flashy, the bottom end notes lend the jangly rocker an extra feeling of buoyancy throughout, which works brilliantly by the time the band hits an already uplifting chorus. In pastiche terms, it might be seen as a little predictable, but its brilliantly played. It’s the kind of track that’s guaranteed to perk up any decent power pop playlist.
There’s a little extra energy present during the intro of ‘Take Me Back To Planet Earth’, but settling into the verse, Muck and the lads settle into one of their typical 60s influenced workouts. Not that this is a bad thing. In this instance, their retro sound is augmented with a brilliant swirling organ which lends an extra b-movie vibe befitting of the lyric, whilst a repetitious hook hits hard with the minimum of fuss. Sure, you’ll find more complex arrangements – even from other garage rock bands – but in terms of lifting the spirits, this is an instant classic. Adding a much bigger sense of melody, the EP’s title cut stokes up the organ melodies and harmonic vocals to create a 60s homage that sounds like it would have been an absolute belter in the hands of the 1976 era Flamin’ Groovies. It’s here that the Mires’ musical gifts can be most obviously appreciated. Jessie Best’s drumming, in particular comes with plenty of flair, but this arrangement is best served by the interplay between Pedro Mire’s guitar work and the organ fills, both of which really beef up the garage rock sound. This comes pretty close to ‘Cool Imposter’ in terms of bringing the fun, and should become a fan favourite in record time.
When dropping a Nerves-ish riff into a surf-centric melody, ‘She Blocked My Number’ aims for peak retro charm with a broad and appealing sound. It’s upbeat nature becomes even more entertaining when juxtaposed with a lyric loaded with frustration, which Muck sells with gusto. In a bygone era, this could’ve been an underground smash for The Smugglers, but at the time of release, merely ranks as one of the best Muck workouts. Rounding out this EP, ‘He’s Not The One’ doesn’t quite match up in terms of instant appeal, but it’s a pleasant enough 60s tune where garage rock bluster meets beat group tightness. It comes a little close to being retro-by-numbers in comparison to the rest of the material, but a well arranged vocal and busy harmonica put in some hard yards to make it hold together, and in terms of tribute, it has a great sound.
In terms of borrowing from a world of retro pop-rock, these six tracks are very knowing, but between a great production sound and a lot of energy, Muck and The Mires pull off a short and very enjoyable listen. There’s certainly enough musical gold here to impress the fans, but at its best, ‘Zoom Breakup’ is also strong enough to pull in a curious ear or two from the wider power pop and garage rock communities. It may not be quite up there with The Mires’ absolute best – ‘Cool Imposter’ set an impossibly high bench mark – but whichever way you slice it, this is still a Mucky winner.
August 2024/January 2025