Under a Billion Suns is the seventh album by Mudhoney

Mudhoney

Mudhoney is an American alternative rock band. Formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988 following the demise of Green River, Mudhoney's members are vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison, and drummer Dan Peters. Original bassist Matt Lukin left the...

, released in the USA in March 2006. It was recorded with three different producers: Phil Ek

Phil Ek

Phil Ek is an American record producer, engineer and mixer. Ek began his career in Seattle, Washington, in the early 1990s recording live sound in clubs. He then moved into studio recording, recording small projects and demos for local bands. Around this time, Ek was frequently working with...

, Johnny Sangster and Tucker Martine

Tucker Martine

Tucker Martine is an American, Grammy nominated record producer, musician and composer who has worked with artists such as My Morning Jacket, Mudhoney, Bill Frisell, The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, R.E.M., Laura Veirs, Spoon, and Tift Merritt...

.

The album was a further departure from Mudhoney's original grunge

Grunge

Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...

 sound, and a continuation of the more commercial sound that began with their previous album. Of note is the unusual amount of saxophones and trumpets featured on the album. A few of the songs also feature female backing vocals.

The first few hundred copies pre-ordered from Sub Pop

Sub Pop

Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...

 were autographed by the band, and came with a bonus CD featuring demos and remixes.

Writing & Recording

The album includes backing vocals from Christy McWilson and Amy Allison on "Let's Drop In" and "I Saw the Light". Before the album was released co-founder of Sub Pop records

Sub Pop

Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...

 Jonathan Poneman said that the album is more political than typical Mudhoney albums, while vocalist Mark Arm

Mark Arm

Mark Arm is the vocalist for the grunge band Mudhoney. He is also credited with coining the term "grunge" to describe his style of rock music...

 said "That may be a little exaggerated. There are four songs where those things are touched on. It's more kind of mocking than the stark, black or white approach." The song "Hard on for War" was written around the time of the U.S.'s 2003 invasion of Iraq. "On the Move," and "I Saw the Light" have been appearing in Mudhoney's recent live shows, Arm says the band wasn't particularly looking to fine-tune the material before it hit the studio.
Mark said that after the release of the album they were going to make a music video for "Touch Me I'm Sick

Touch Me I'm Sick

"Touch Me I'm Sick" is a song by the American alternative rock band Mudhoney. It was recorded in March 1988 at Seattle's Reciprocal Recording studio with producer Jack Endino. "Touch Me I'm Sick" was released as Mudhoney's debut single by independent record label Sub Pop on August 1, 1988...

", but there hasn't been any talk about it since the release of the album.

Track listing

1. "Where Is the Future" - 5:38
2. "It Is Us" - 3:28
3. "I Saw the Light" - 2:23
4. "Endless Yesterday" - 4:02
5. "Empty Shells" - 2:38
6. "Hard-On for War" - 3:57
7. "A Brief Celebration of Indifference" - 2:06
8. "Let's Drop In" - 4:40
9. "On the Move" - 4:46
10. "In Search Of..." - 5:02
11. "Blindspots" - 5:37