Recorded between 2009 and 2012 at various studios around Hull, What’s Behind Us is the debut album from MAMMAL HUM. It’s less sweet harmonic pop and more rambunctious and raggedy. It’s kind of a hotch-potch but it all hangs together. It’s a lo-fi sound with a sixties strange pop feel and if you play it in the right mood you feel kind of stupid. Like a groupie.
The band have four distinct voices all vying for attention. There are fifteen tracks in all and I think the middle of the album does probably sag under its own weight. Before then I like I Am A Car, especially when I am driving my Jaguar. Man On Fire is even better: "See the man on fire now and he don’t care/ He’s alight, he’s alright." Shades of The Move then.
I don’t think there is a song on this album that doesn’t sound like it just got blown out the arse end of the sixties. The really singy harmonies don’t quite come off for me but some of the songs do really grow on you like grass. There are also great song titles like Radiant Fabric and Bad Anita Borden. Some of the tunes sound familiar. Little Hands is cosmic like Donovan. Could be a Kinks fixation, going on? Essentially, there is nothing wrong here that couldn’t be put right next time around.
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Mollusc Records online
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