The Mumzees really know how to rip through a variety of genres and adrenaline-induced noise. As a band, they are most precisely, accurately, and curiously described by their own bio:
Hailing from North Georgia, Madison Orr was raised by a disgraced faith healer, his formative years spent listening to a partially dubbed over mixtape of GG Allin and Nirvana. Through a mutual friend / parole officer, Madison met bassist Sam Talley and drummer Sam McKenley, two like-minded musicians with a penchant for being named Sam. Fast forward to 2014, immediately following their daring escape from the UFO cult, and The Mumzees as you know them were born: brash, loud, addicted to cough syrup, and banned from Kentucky Fried Chicken locations nationwide.
Smattered with cymbal and somewhat unintelligible moans, the group’s debut album, Heavy Desert, is more than just heavy. Throughout the collection of growling sounds, The Mumzees fit in snippets of gritty southern garage rock, barreling punk, psychedelic rock, and a hint or two of pop. It’s packed full with a strong, in-your-face kind of sound that always seems to find a suitable balance of lighter elements, never becoming overbearing or overwhelming.
Each song is quite distinguishable from the next while maintaing the gruff theme of the whole group. Opening the album with a pop, “Library Boy” (seemingly pronounced without the first ‘r’ in the song) is an energetic, repetitious taste of the more straightforward version of their raucous style. The blistering blur of “Interstellar Labradora” pairs nicely the soft, fuzzy dream with a hip-shaking beat that is “Milkshake.””Warsaw” artfully spirals through distorted guitars for nearly seven minutes, picks steam in an organized fashion through muffled verses and choruses, and eventually whirls its way back into a frenzy. A droning backdrop meets wrbling guitars and a lingering refrain in the titular and closing track, “Heavy Desert,” that fades into the perfect send off.
The album clearly indicates that The Mumzees would be a real treat to see live. While it captures the essence of their abounding energy, I can only imagine the entrance of booming guitar and basslines and the height of the most ferociously screamed vocals would be enrapturing in person. So listen now, and check out a live show later. I certainly will do just that the next time they make it up the East Coast.
Heavy Desert is out now on Broken Hip Records.
Favorite Tracks: Library Boy, Interstellar Labradora, & King Cobra
