In this age of eclecticism, it's still refreshing to discover a band unafraid to shower you with guitars and wave the flag for poor old Indie. OK, on balance I realise it's a little simplistic to describe THE HUSH NOW as merely a traditional 'Indie' outfit, for there's invention and ideas aplenty on display here, but - crucially - they realise the importance of melding the experimentation with corking tunes, which is why their second album 'Constellations' is such an inspiring listen.
Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, The Hush Now are broadly a quintet built around the songwriting skills of singer/ songwriter Noel Kelly, though altogether there are around 10 other musicians and producer David Newton (formerly of late '80s contenders The Mighty Lemon Drops) jostling to add textures. Oh, and there's also what sounds like a resurrected Pavarotti featuring on new single 'Hoping & Waiting', but we'll come back to that in a moment.
Opening track 'Contrails' gives you some idea of what to expect. No-nonsense guitar pop shapes are thrown around with panache, while there are hints of Shoegaze, classic off-kilter US power pop (Guided by Voices especially) and even the C-86 sound (The Loft, Lemon Drops) rolling around on the tongue and leaving a very pleasant after-taste. Noel Kelly sings with a quizzical sense of wonder and his largely unhurried delivery provides a nice contrast to the urgency of the music broiling around him.
It's a good start and the quality is impressively maintained as the album unfurls. Recent single 'Hoping & Waiting' is an immediate highlight, with jaywalking bass lines and insistent guitars conspiring with itchy drumming and a full-pelt chorus. The 'opera vocal' I referred to earlier is provided by Michael Kelly but could just as easily be a Pavarotti sample. It's the last thing you'd expect, but it's actually brilliant in context and is swiftly followed by a triumphant British Sea Power-style trumpet fanfare which brings the band back on board to burn rubber once again.
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From there on, crunching, GBV-style Power pop charges like 'Smokescreens' and 'All You've Said & Done' rub shoulders with dreamier delights like 'Thorns' - where visceral imagery ("crawling through your thorns with disregard"Â) and Barry Marino's expansive drumming conspire beautifully - and even the occasional Folk-Rock two-step like the mellifluous 'Fireflies'. All are convincing and enjoyable, though they save arguably their best for last courtesy of 'Carousel' which - as you'd hope for from any self-respecting grandstand finish - morphs delightfully from gentle and dreamy to full-on burning epic and leaves you clamouring for more. Which is, of course, the textbook way to leave us hanging.
The Hush Now are getting rather good at this slow-burning Indie guitar gear. Their self-titled debut was a notable introduction, but 'Constellations'' showcases a stellar pop aspiration and a sky's-the-limit attitude. Keep that telescope on standby to monitor their next heavenly pop mission.
The Hush Now on Myspace
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