Mighty Jupiter & The Mooncake Band show us their originality in debut album, Forced Fun For The Just OK Life.

By Graeme Smith

A Riga, Latvia-based band led by the eponymous Jupiter, Mighty Jupiter & The Mooncake Band are appearing on our pages for the first time thanks to their debut album, Forced Fun For The Just OK Life.

The album blends genre under the label of “shoehaze,” a word coined by mastering engineer Natalie Bibby who worked on the album in her London studios, and is about life’s absurdities, existential questions, and tangled relationships.

There’s a strong sense of atmosphere about the band’s sound, with vocal and instrumental textures aplenty. Each track has a distinct style and point of view, with the early running giving us surprise after surprise. Catch Me Now is a rumbling early highlight and is followed by the contrasting groove of Renewal. The Eeriest Summer delights with its unusual time signature. Who Shot Ron Swanson? has some captivating lyrics. Thermal Waters sits at the heart of the album giving us a dance beat and some delicate vocals. It’s another highlight.

As the album reaches its finish, it gets more bombastic. Super Me is a vibrant case in point, which comes complete with a pacy, singalong chorus. Unfolded gives us some post-rock introspection. Stardust and Rust slows things down before Burden Erased rounds off the album with some swaggering, electronic-infused psych rock.

In a saturated music industry, it’s hard to stand out and bring true originality. That’s exactly what Mighty Jupiter & The Mooncake Band have done with their debut album. There’s a theatricality to it all, as well as an experimental feel. At its heart, though, are compelling vocals and plenty of instrumental flair. It’s one of the albums of the year for me.

Forced Fun For The Just OK Life is out now and you can give it a listen below.