Ronan O'BrienData-driven algorithms for the most part, can be a bit invasive and a big marketing tool. One use, I find, is that it can expose new music that can so easily fall under the radar. Spotify’s algorithm introduced me to Mouseatouille through their latest release, DJ Set.
The Mischief of Mice
A self-proclaimed “band of many members”, Mouseatouille were formed in their native Melbourne, Australia in 2016. The moniker was conceived by guitarist Harry Green, who was part of a lo-fi group called firstkiss. Through this group, he met vocalist Claire Osborn-Li and later drummer Spencer Noonan. The trio conceived the band’s debut album, Fill the Bathtubs, Turn Off the Lights and Brace for the New Millenium in 2017.
Adding more musicians to the ranks, from family, friends and early fans, the band’s roster grew. While still unclear whether these new musicians were in the band or simply session musicians, Mouseatouille released their follow-up Out of the Hospital and Into the Morgue in 2019. New musicians meant new instruments, which allowed the band to experiment with new sounds and create an even more diverse soundscape.
The big break came for the band in 2024, when fellow ensemble Black Country, New Road selected the band as their opening act for Australia & New Zealand tour. While these performances were some of the biggest the band had experienced to date, the creativity never ceased. Sitting on many unfinished tracks for years, Green & co. thought no better time than the present to return to the studio and complete the band’s third release, DJ Set.
Let Your Garden Grow
The album opens with some incredibly pretty guitar tone on “Tom’s Lament“. A familiar-sounding melody, it provides a welcoming introduction to the band’s impressive soundscape. The clarinet provides the hook in the early sections of the instrumental, which is so warm and soul-tingling. Instruments are gradually introduced, from drums to bass guitar to synthesizers, creating a monumental sonic environment. The song serves as an overture, showcasing the band’s incredible talents from the offset.
The distorted, feedback-filled guitars provide the seamless intro to “Song for Growth“. We hear the vocalists for the first time, who repeat simple lyrics to swelling harmonies. The sustain from the synthesizer creates a spacey, ethereal background to the rising choir. A brief interlude occurs before the stumbling instrumentals bring the song to a gentle close.
The style turns more indie rock in “Mike & Melissa“, with straight guitars and drums. The keys that play behind the melody are so delightful, it’s so easy to get lost in the instrumental layers of the track. Lyrics are more prevalent in this track, which tells of a melancholic tale of long-distance lovers. The vocals are reminiscent of a slacker-rock era, which allows the instrumentals to really shine through again.
Again and Again
“Harry and the Jets“ sees a multi-instrumental backdrop to a rather introspective song. With elements of guitar, piano, drums, clarinet and violins, it’s another multi-faceted display of the band’s wide talents, playing in blissful harmony. Lyrically, it appears to be an autobiographical tale of Green’s love life. Delivered with smoothness, he details his own feelings of love-filled nerves fading as his relationship grew.
The beautiful love tale is followed with the heart-shattering “Letters“. Accompanied by a lone acoustic guitar, Green details the harrowing feelings of losing someone. Stylistically very similar to The Microphones, this becomes even more apparent with the blasting guitar and blown-out drums that slash through the false break. The trumpets provide a powerful support to the emotionally-charged vocals and once again the band manage to squeeze so many instruments into this narrow space in truly outstanding fashion.
Continuing mixing lo-fi vocals with an array of instrumentals, “Dogshow“ is another fine display of talent from the band. Lyrics detailing feelings of disarray, the instrumental arrangement is anything but. Wonderfully enjoyable banjo and violin inject warmth throughout, and an accordion adds another heartfelt melody to the outro. The percussive bounce is a carbon copy of that heard in “We Only Come Out At Night“, but it works really well.
You’re Just Like Me
A much heavier instrumental opens “My Love“, which is another blasted lo-fi mix similar to The Microphones. Accompanying Green’s vocals are some ghostly backing vocals. Each lyric drawn out, the sorrow can be felt in the singer’s voice. A synthesised melody is introduced, with Green’s vocals becoming more glitchy, almost resonating loss. It’s spacey and nowhere rushed, exactly what it needs to be.
The resonance is displaced with the return of a banjo in “Today Will Be the Greatest Day of Our Lives“. The pace remains slow, with instrumentals gradually added. It’s meticulously perfect and it creates such an incredible soundscape for what are simplistic lyrics. A common theme in this album is the use of false breaks to change the mood, and here it allows the band to transition into a sweet, soft-rock ensemble. It becomes a powerful anthem towards the end, which is a complete turnaround from the intro. Really cool.
Following with a deviation of the same melody comes the instrumental “…And They Played Forever“. Another full, dulcet track stacked with instruments playing in both harmony and dichotomy with each other. It serves as a second outro to the previous track yet its own statement. It’s difficult to comprehend how the band can do this so well and I’m absolutely here for it.
And Then
“Theme From 2021“ opens with some more blissfully sweet guitar tone accompanying Green’s soft, laidback vocals. The drums and guitar harmony with swing, with piano and clarinet appearing in pockets. Violin and bass take over the melody, before the song swells, threatening to explode. The build-up finally comes, and boy do they not hold back. The instrumentals truly intensify with the vocals forming a pseudo-choir evoking such emotion that I can feel the tears starting.
The album closer, “My DJ Set“, echoes melodic elements of the opening track which creates a really cool effect. Once again, the vocals are laidback, with piano and a fingerpicking melody on the acoustic guitar. What’s especially cool, though confusing, is the abrupt ending of the track in the middle of a sentence. This left me bewildered the first listen, I had to check again. The silence is oddly peaceful, with the taste of solace left with me. It’s poetic in a strange way, but above all else, memorable.
Final Thoughts
I was nothing short of amazed following my first listen of this album. Though the band were completely new to me, the obvious influences from The Microphones, Beck and Black Country, New Road made their sound recognisable. In no way is that a bad thing – I think the band are fantastically talented and have developed their own sound as a result.
What’s different with Mouseatouille and the part that really stuck with me is their ability to work lo-fi style into a big soundscape. Instrumentals appear to be meticulously planned and created while the vocals lazily exist in unison and that is no easy feat. If you are like me and find Black Country, New Road’s stuff too dizzying and The Microphones’ a bit intolerable at times, then this album is absolutely perfect for you.
