Seattle-based band Mudhoney is set to release its 11th studio album, Plastic Eternity, on April 7, 2023. The release coincides with the 35th anniversary of both Mudhoney and the Sub Pop label. The album was recorded at Crackle & Pop! in Seattle, Washington, with longtime producer Johnny Sangster over a nine-day period. Plastic Eternity is now available for preorder on CD/LP/CS/DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders from https://megamart.subpop.com, and select independent retailers in North America will receive the limited Loser Edition on “shiny gray matter” vinyl. There will also be a new T-shirt design available.
Plastic Eternity is a nod to the proto-genres of guitar rock and offers a fresh take on the absurdities of modern life. Mudhoney’s gnarly, primordial punk stew and sharply funny lyrics are as potent a combination as they have been since the band’s formation in the late 1980s. The album tackles various subject matters, from climate change to drug abuse to human rights.
The album marks the first time that Mudhoney has given writing credit to anyone outside the band, thanks to Sangster, who stepped in to offer advice on where the songs could go. The recording process also delivered several firsts for the band, as they were forced to work on a deadline due to bassist Guy Maddison’s plans to move his family to Australia. The band recorded the album with an assortment of half-forgotten riffs and nascent ideas rather than fully-fledged, well-rehearsed songs.
Plastic Eternity also contains two genuine love songs, one for the band’s favorite guitarists, Tom Herman, and the other for vocalist Mark Arm’s Pomeranian, Russell. Despite the album’s mordant delivery and crusty exterior, it is not just a rebuke to the constant attacks on intelligence and the planet, but also an ode to the connections we make with other living beings.
When asked why they continue making records nearly four decades after forming, Arm’s answer was simple: “We like each other and we like being in a band together.” For Mudhoney, making music is their version of “poker night or whatever the f*ck” – a chance to get together with their friends and have some fun.
Plastic Eternity is another testament to Mudhoney’s enduring presence in the music industry. With a fresh take on guitar rock and sharply funny lyrics, the album is sure to resonate with longtime fans and newcomers alike.
Mudhoney
Plastic Eternity
Tracklisting:
- Souvenir of My Trip
- Almost Everything
- Cascades of Crap
- Flush the Fascists
- Move Under
- Severed Dreams in the Sleeper Cell
- Here Comes the Flood
- Human Stock Capital
- Tom Hermans Hermits
- One or Two
- Cry Me an Atmospheric River
- Plasticity
- Little Dogs
