Singles

The Hush Now - Hoping and Waiting

Richard Wink 16/09/2009

Rating: 2/5

Opening with a brief flutter of church organ 'Hoping and Waiting' is a powder puff indie pop anthem, blighted with familiar post-punk Wire like rhythms, the knowingly vague and pedestrian pale soma doused vocals, before closing in unnecessary triumph with trumpet fanfare and the half arsed spew of a non-descript opera singer; it is hard to point a critical finger at the single, the song certainly isn't memorable, no melodies linger, no chorus sticks to the back of your subconscious wall like pink bubble gum. The music is caught between a field of bristling, youthful energy and a barren plain of dreariness.

Flighty and forgetful, The Hush Now has created a single that melts away in the ether, reminiscent of Guided by VoicesREM during the recording of Murmur, the throwaway nature of the band have already made Steve Lamacq's skin tight polka dot boxer shorts sticky, but it is typical Lamacq fodder, perfect for seeing out a couple of minutes before the hourly news bulletin.

I compare The Hush Now to Guided by Voices, but it is the negative side to Robert Pollard's band that they reflect, the timid, average moments. The Hush Now tempt on 'Hoping and Waiting' waving the bait in front of the listener, but they can't quite hook you, therefore there is no chance of you getting reeled in.