Mum - Dusk Log EP

I wasn't the only one who seemed to be a smidge let down by Summer Make Good, the previous release from Múm. Despite taking a bit of a darker edge than their previous work, it also just felt a little too precious with some of the vocal work that appeared on the release. Wasting no time, the group was busy on tour folling the release of the aforementioned disc and they're already back with 2 short new releases (this Dusk Log EP as well as a collaborative book and CD project).

Listening to the opening track "Kostrzyn," one gets the feeling that the group is really back on track. A sprawling instrumental that mixes strings and melodica and a wide array of intricate programming, the track moves from languid to loud and powerful several times over the course of 5 minutes. "This Nothing In The Faraway" follows with a more downcast mood as murky beats and soft organ sounds mix with mumbly vocals and chimes to beautiful effect. "Book Of Fog" closes the release in a less focused way as plucked violin mixes with melodica and a load of glitchy noises that never quite coalesce.

The only previously-released track on the disc is "Will The Summer Make Good For All Of Our Sins" from their recent full-length. The release also includes a bizarre, almost Jan Svankmayer-ish video for the track, mixing 3D animation of bloated bodies with squirming maggots and other oddities. As a whole, the EP is a bit strange, going from upbeat and rollicking to somber and disjointed in about 15 minutes time. The opening track makes it worth buying alone, and it's needless to say that if you like their recent work you'll enjoy it, but I personally hope they gain back a little more of the focus they seemed to have with their first two full-length releases.

Rating: 7

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