Mouthwash have a fantastically loyal following that’s possibly not as big as it should be. If as many people listen to this record as they should do, they’d have a huge loyal following. There’s a real mix of sounds here on ‘True Stories’. There’s the obvious ska influence, the obvious punk rock influence, a little reggae, definitely the sound of the streets of London – it’s like a mash up of bands like Howards Alias, Sonic Boom Six and The King Blues but with the end result of a band that doesn’t really sound like the obvious sum of those parts. Of course if you’re an old fan of the band you will know they’ve gone through line up changes and, as a result, this album isn’t as ‘punk’ in sound as their previous efforts. Not that it’s a bad thing at all.
‘Southbound’, ‘That Girl’ and ‘N68’ are all fantastic little songs. The first of those is a laid-back ska and dub influenced little ditty laced with keys and synth and a really cool vibe. It’s the sound of the album, a record that’s laid back and full of cool songs. If you were a fan of the band previously then expect something a little different, yet equally as good.