Review: The Hush Now | Constellations [MP3]

Spoiler Alert: As one inevitably approaches his fortieth or fiftieth listen to the opening cut on The Hush Now's sophomore set -- because it is that good -- the revelation strikes that the pulsing flow of the lyrics to "Contrails" suggests Chuck D's in the greatest hip-hop song of all time, "Don't Believe The Hype" ("they can't come on and play me in prime time..."). That tangent aside, vocals and keyboard tower over the other elements of "Contrails," and we wish someone had depressed the "Superchunk Guitars" button during the mixing session for that track. We can't help but wonder if The Hush Now's songwriter and guitarist Noel Kelly pondered hard over the decision and chose the lighter (and probably more radio-friendly) touch as part of an effort to spread the band's musical wings more broadly on Constellations, The Hush Now's wonderfully realized new collection. Its 10 songs are rife with arrangement and production surprises that increase the dimensions of the band's already formidable amalgamation of British(-style) guitar pop inflected with '70s AM Gold harmonies.

Not the least of these surprises is the stirring bridge in "Contrails," featuring -- E.L.O.-style, and we believe from the mouth of Mr. Kelly's brother -- an operatic vocal solo almost mystically summoning a final giant chorus. Said chorus is further punctuated by a bright trumpet line that charts the front end of a nice contrast to the darker, more bouncing title track that follows. "Constellations" noticeably percolates with similar energy to "Traditions," a highlight of the band's first long-player [live clip of the former track here]. There's a surprisingly soulful horn solo in "Thorns," as well, floating above a spray of delayed guitar that recalls The Cure's Disintegration or The Kitchens Of Distinction's finer moments. The album's first rough edges don't appear until the crackling opening of "All You've Said And Done," although here again the vocals tamp down the big guitars once the lyrics kick in. Later, that song dissolves into 90 beautiful seconds of strings and feedback and accordion that is among the most impressive things to spring from the mind of Mr. Kelly so far. Then "Fireflies" opens with banjo. Such production flairs could easily present as kitschy, pile up and cloud the underlying music, but Kelly and his cohort ably massage them into Constellations so that nothing sounds tacked on at whim. Such remarkable facility with arrangement and production may be the band's biggest surprise of all.

Beyond the broader palette, the new collection isn't that different a beast from The Hush Now's solid self-titled debut (both created with the production assistance of The Mighty Lemon Drops' David Newton). And so Kelly's five-year plan, first detailed here, pushes on. The first single from Constellations, "Hoping And Waiting," is already scratching certain radio charts. The Hush Now's biggest challenge at the moment may be securing a lead guitarist to promote the record this fall, as its most recent six-string-slinger left the fold earlier this month as live commitments are starting to fall into place. However, for a band whose history encompasses a car crash and a flood, fans know it is unwise to count out The Hush Now. Constellations will be self-released by the band Oct. 13.

The Hush Now -- "Hoping And Waiting" -- Constellations
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[buy Hush Now music right here]

The Hush Now: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | Flickr

Previous Hush Now Coverage:

YouTube Rodeo: The Hush Now's "Constellations"
Today's Hotness: The Hush Now
Back To Now: The Hush Now Interview With Noel Kelly
In The Studio With... The Hush Now
Review: The Hush Now -- The Hush Now

Review: The Beatings | Late Season Kids [MP3]

The title to Boston-slash-New York rockers The Beatings' sixth full-length evokes the surging success of a pro sports franchise making all the right moves perhaps when least expected. Nearly a decade into the band's career (and well into certain members' thirties, marriages and parenthood) is an unlikely time to have created its best, most confident record -- and yet here it is. Late Season Kids is a triumph crafted by a quintet whose tenure is longer than many -- if not most -- big-leaguers and rock acts alike.

Although The Beatings continue to calculate the musical mean of noisy indie rock a la Superchunk and Mission of Burma, the band hasn't been coasting. It recently added the latest in a series of fifth members: Greg Lyon, who fronts and plays guitar for Beatings label mates Pending Disappointment, has been officially dubbed (drubbed?) a Beating. As far as the music is concerned, the band purports to have embraced a more pop direction on this latest collection. This we can confirm, but don't expect Barry Manilow here. Instead, The Beatings furnish a ready supply of its familiar fist-pumping anthems, such as the four-on-the-floor "Youth Crimes," with the fivesome's typical noise quotient dialed back somewhat in certain places. The subdued and downright spooky "Ways And Means," sung by bassist Erin Dalbec, is a taut, but calming deep breath later in the album. The Tony Skalicky-sung closer "Dreams Of The Waking" both recalls Versus'/The Godrays' "Crazy" and sounds like the cover closing on a book.

But not everything is toned down. The redemptive caterwaul of co-fronter E.R. drives the album highlight "All The Things You've Been Missing" repeatedly into a chorus built on a scalding baptism of blaring, reverbed guitars. At the break-down he spits lines that recall Lloyd Dobbler dialogue, before spinning the song on its side like a bottle cap into a jabbing, acerbic coda. The following track, the thriller "Parts-Per Notation," leads with the almost comically understated line "I think I'm going to explode" (reinforcing the earlier sentiment "it takes all of my patience not to lose control" from "Youth Crimes").

On Late Season Kids the band swings for the fences and connects like batters in their prime. The propulsive energy captured within the set -- but to a lesser extent in the respective side projects fronted by E.R. and Mr. Skalicky -- suggests that The Beatings' secret weapon is the all-business but unflagging rhythm section comprised of Dennis Grabowski and Ms. Dalbec. The Beatings released its prior set Holding On To Hand Grenades on Midriff in 2006. The band celebrates the release of Late Season Kids with a record release show at Boston's Great Scott Sept. 12 (with support from label mates Hands And Knees and rising indie pop superlatives The Hush Now). The official release date is Sept. 15.

The Beatings -- "Bury You" -- Late Season Kids
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[buy Beatings records from Midriff right here]

The Beatings: Internerds | MySpace | YouTube | Flickr

Previous Beatings Coverage:

That Was The Show That Was: The Beatings | TT The Bear's
Year-End Wrap Party: Eight Records You Should Have Heard In 2006
The Beatings' Holding On To Hand Grenades review

YouTube Rodeo: The Hush Now's "Constellations"

Title track to superlative Boston-based indie pop act's forthcoming sophomore full-length. This clip was recorded live at O'Brien's earlier this summer. Try to ignore the nice ladies chatting over the final moments. The Hush Now's Constellations is out Oct. 13, and its lead single "Hoping And Waiting" [available for free on the Internerds] is already making its mark on the CMJ charts, we're told. The quintet plays Great Scott in Boston Sept. 12 as part of the record release show for The Beatings' thoroughly wonderful sixth set Late Season Kids.

YouTube Rodeo: Calories' "Forests of Varg"

We just recalled that when we last checked in with Calories, a/k/a the *other* awesome Birmingham, England-based power trio, there was some mention of the band recording its sophomore set and embarking on a series of vinyl-only EPs by the end of the summer. So we did a little poking around and found a MySpace post from the band from a few weeks ago indicating that, yes, in fact it has nearly finished recording the set. We know little about it, except that the song "Drink The Potion" may be on it. Anyway, the same MySpace post reported that former Antlers bandmate Steve Ingram -- who is apparently responsible for much of Calories' art -- had recently completed a video for the album cut "Forests of Varg," which you may recall was among the last third of Calories' excellent debut Adventuring, which came out earlier this year. We've posted the video above. We think you'll agree the tune is a rocker. We reviewed Adventuring here in February; a few weeks prior to that the band hosted our intermittent but awesome feature Show Us Yours here, which we should really endeavor to resuscitate.

Be Prepared: Fleeting Joys | Occult Radiance | Aug. 27, 2009

Behold the art for the breath-taking and triumphant sophomore full-length from Northern California-based shoegaze goliaths Fleeting Joys. Gorgeous melodies, crushing waves of electric guitar, and some very nice ambient moments as well. The U.S. release has two songs and a different mix than the previously released Japanese version issued by Thomason Sounds. Pre-order the set here. The band is offering the outtake "Golden Now" for free download, so have at it. We've been listening to Occult Radiance for days and highly recommend it.

Fleeting Joys -- "Golden Now"
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[buy Fleeting Joys music here]

And Then This Happened: Varsity Drag | Middle East Rock Club | 8/7/09

Be Prepared: The Beatings | Late Season Kids | Sept. 15, 2009

Review to follow. Tour begins next week.

08/12 -- Brooklyn, NY -- Death By Audio
08/13 -- Wilmington, DE -- Mojo 13
08/14 -- Morgantown, WV -- 123 Pleasant Street
08/16 -- Chapel Hill, NC -- Nightlight Bar
08/18 -- Raleigh, NC -- Pour House
08/19 -- Athens, GA -- Calendonia Lounge
08/20 -- Knoxville, TN -- The Pilot Light
08/21 -- Lexington, KY -- Green Lantern Bar
09/12 -- Boston, MA –- Great Scott (Record Release Show)