Mustard Service just dropped their fourth album, Vice City Magic, and it’s a sharp left turn into the darker corners of their hometown. Released just over a week ago, the Miami-based trio –Marco Rivero Ochoa (vocals, rhythm guitar), Leo Cattani (keyboard), and Adam Perez (drums)– is pushing their signature ‘zest pop’ sound somewhere bolder, blending surf, jazz, and Latin funk with a sense of looming tension. This isn’t the pastel-coloured Miami on postcards; it’s the Miami of inequality, addiction, and quiet existential chaos, delivered with a wink and a dance beat.
The focus track Yucky’s Song deals with the strangeness of being seen, or worse, imagined. “It’s about existing in other people’s heads,” says frontman Marco Rivero Ochoa, “and wanting out.” It’s anxious and weirdly catchy, a sort of poetic freak-out. High Roller and Billy Bob sketch out the city’s power imbalance, exposing the glamour as a mask for greed. There’s even a guest spot from indie mainstay JW Francis on How Come, adding some dreamy texture to the album’s already rich palette.
The artwork says it all, with a surreal collage of balaclava-wearing figures meant to represent the hidden communities living in Miami’s blind spots. These aren’t villains, but the people left out of the luxury marketing brochures. And still, the album never slips into full-on despair. Tracks like Telephone and Let Me Call You Baby pulse with warmth and resilience, reminding you that this city, for all its flaws, still knows how to love loud. And if you want more than just a listen, the Vice City Magic tour is now rolling across North America with stops from Atlanta to Toronto to New York. Fans can grab a special merch bundle — vinyl copy of the new album plus a free show ticket (select cities only).