On Stage
A pollyanna is defined as an excessively cheerful or optimistic person. For it to be the title andinspiration of the opening track and lead single from Just Mustard’s third album, WE WERE JUST HERE, signals a Damascene moment for the Dundalk five-piece. Across their first two albums–2018’s Wednesday and Partisan Records debut Heart Underfrom 2022–the Irish band had become masters at creating haunting noise rock, Katie Ball’s bewitching vocals swirling amongst the sounds like smoke.
Heart Under, defined by a maelstrom of dark industrial noise and dreamy textures, explored themes of grief and longing, with imagery of being submerged deep underwater and gasping forair. On the remarkable WE WERE JUST HERE, the band reemerges, leaning towards the lightand the rush of euphoria.