For a band that has been consistently prolific for over three decades, the inevitable question is; “What’s Next?” Longevity is a gift that we have seen wasted by many artists, in the case of the Seattle grunge pioneers Mudhoney, they are taking nothing for granted. The four-piece debuted in 1988 and have since paved their own lane around the commercial success of their 90’s grunge peers, a lane that led them to creative freedom and no one to tell them “No”. Continuing to add to their storied legacy, today (January 25), Mudhoney has announced their 11th studio album, Plastic Eternity will be released on April 7 via Sub Pop Records. Check out the song and video for the first single “Almost Everything” below…
The album was recorded in nine days in the band’s hometown and produced by a familiar face to Mudhoney fans, Johnny Sangster. According to a press release, the album was recorded in hopes it will put a mirror in front of those who ignore the large issues that have plagued our society for years. With his unwavering wit, lead singer Mark Arm took aim and the ivory towers that continue to dismiss topics like global warming and the ever-corrupt pharmaceutical industry, just to name a few.
A fresh batch of new tracks is not the only thing Mudhoney fans will find “new” about the band. The album includes a plethora of firsts including outside writing credits from Sangster, explorations into genuine love songs, and most importantly, the writing process. The band is used to flushing out ideas before hitting the studio but the pandemic left the four members isolated. Plastic Eternity sees the band piecing together half-remembered ideas recorded in a rush, what we have left is a collection of promising punk records that appear wide in their topics and familiar in their classic Mudhoney sonic soundscape.
Look out for Plastic Eternity on April 7.