Peel Sessions

The Peel Session was recorded in October 2002, just two years before iconic BBC-1 radio host John Peel's death. It's a small affair, just a four-song EP with a scribbly paper cover designed by Mum themselves; three of the tracks are from their debut, Yesterday Was Dramatic, and the fourth is from (the then brand-new) Finally We Are No One. "Now There Is That Fear Again" is altogether heavier and more organic on this recording; it swells with ponderous drums and icy, unearthly vocals. "The Ballad of the Broken String," too, takes on a darker, grainier texture with its live treatment. The other two tracks, "Scratched Bicycle/Smell Memory" and "Awake on a Train," take on little additional depth in this setting, though. There's a dearth of extra material (Peel makes no appearance here and there are no liner notes), which is a small disappointment. This isn't to say that Mum are any less ethereal or lovely in this incarnation, however. The Peel Session isn't an essential EP by any stretch of the imagination, and given its limited scope it probably wouldn't make a good starting point for newbies. But serious Mum fans itching to complete their collections will probably like what they find on this little disc. ~ Margaret Reges