MOUTH ULCERS - Silent Pictures

The evocative power of post-punk, a genre now at the center of a phenomenon that goes well beyond the revival of the 80s and now runs through new generations of musicians, continues to captivate hordes of twenty-somethings drawn to its unconventional expressive force. Because rock has once again become a genre for rebels who refuse to surrender to the mainstream grip of streaming platforms, and in this post-punk is unbeatable: it offers sounds that still feel current (the early albums by Cure, Joy Division and Sisters Of Mercy still sound as fresh as they did forty years ago) and channels them into the anxieties and hopes of a generation looking for a way out of social-media flattening and the hyper-individualism of a society that would rather keep them as silent consumers.

London quartet Mouth Ulcers, fronted by singer Zak Watson and active since 2025, dive straight into the movement, embracing its darkest strain of post-punk — the one embodied by the bands mentioned above. They're billed as "young goths from the haunted suburbs", but their aim isn't to instill fear; it's more about unearthing the melancholic shades of the human soul through tension and rhythm. As they put it themselves, they make "dance music for vampires", for people in search of emotional anguish.

"Silent Pictures", a seven-track EP, is their debut effort, released on LAB records and preceded by a couple of singles. The influences of Zac's band, rounded out by Josephine Rose (guitar and vocals), Jamie Lee Curver (bass) and Daniel Ash (guitar), are plain to hear: first and foremost the darkness of Joy Division, then the tension of early Cure. There's also an attention to electronic drive reminiscent of Soft Moon, and above all, as on opener "Prevail", you can hear the sharp, clattering guitars of early Editors, proof that the band doesn't feed solely on the 80s.
"Prevail", in fact, encapsulates the band's whole aesthetic: a deep bassline, an overlapping melodic guitar line, a whispered, pained vocal, and another guitar weaving a delicate sonic tapestry. The electronic drums make everything colder and more menacing in a taut, driven track hungry to release energy. Inspired by Andrei Tarkovsky's film "Stalker", it's about the effort to overcome fears induced by a hostile environment. "Silent Pictures" pulls the listener under with a distorted guitar riff, while the drums build tension alongside a monotone bassline. "Satisfy" is a calmer moment: the guitars trace languid arpeggios and the whispered vocal sounds almost at peace; it's a track that conjures a sonic contentment that needs no tension, perhaps a reminder to enjoy what you have.
The closer is "A Perfect End", a track that revisits the band's core traits: the bass carves out deep notes, the guitars soar high, and the vocal seems to arrive from beyond the grave.

"Silent Pictures" is a convincing effort, interesting for newcomers to the genre and reassuring for those who've been listening to post-punk for decades. If you want to dig into your own soul, Mouth Ulcers' music is exactly what you're looking for.

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17/08/2026