Mucho Mistrust [Cuties Orange Vinyl]

Fake Fruit’s visceral indie rock operates so firmly in the present that it’s transportive and unmooring. The Oakland trio’s songs careen with volatile energy and lead singer Ham D’Amato’s lyrics are enveloped with acerbic humor and resonant perceptiveness. Their new LP Mucho Mistrust encapsulates the anxieties of daily life, a bloodless music industry, and global capitalism as well as the clear-eyed skepticism needed to rebel against it.

Following 2021’s self-titled debut LP, the band’s personal lives hit a turbulent and transformational period. “There were big life changes and I was close to boiling over,” says D’Amato, “I left a bad relationship, entered a more stable one, got diagnosed with alopecia, and I'm turning 30 soon.”

“Mucho Mistrust is about toeing the line between opting out and choosing to participate while knowing what the catch is,” says D’Amato. “It's about rolling up your sleeves, dusting yourself off, and starting again.”