Down Tools

Leeds art-rock group Mush return with album Down Tools via Memphis Industries. The new record marks the prolific band’s third album in as many years, following hype-building early singles ‘Alternative Facts’ and ‘Gig Economy’, 2020’s debut LP 3D Routine and 2021's acclaimed Lines Redacted, which pushed their sound further. On Down Tools, this voice grows again into a more brilliantly singular sound. It sees Mush getting loose, moving away from the defined moods and textures of Lines Redacted with a musical openness, straddling genres while avoiding pastiche. Hyndman says of the lyrics on ‘Down Tools’ that “there was a conscious decision to retreat further from an observational approach” with vocals being ad-libbed lending the record a more abstract feel. Hyndman continues: “this album is less dark than the previous one. The Armageddon obsession has eased, or at least the symptoms have become milder due to saturation. Musically there’s a