The Hush Sound - Like Vines Review

I have a soft spot for this band; as keyboard and piano player, it's always nice to find a band that plays great music with a focus on the piano. Of course, The Hush Sound don't focus only on piano; they are much grander than that. The piano parts lay out the basework of each song on the album, and are the main focus of many of them. In every song, the piano is brilliant, Greta Salpeter's versatility allowing for beautiful and soft ballads such as Lighthouse, to the blues-y piano playing of A Dark Congregation. Salpeter's beautiful and pure voice leads several of her most complex piano pieces, (A Dark Congregation) an impressive feat as singing lead vocals while playing the piano, and the main instrument of the band for that matter, is extremely difficult. Greta's classical background in music coupled with Bob Morris's (co-founder of the band) rock background formulate into unique blend of sound. Darren Wilson's drumming also strays off the beaten path, often creating syncopated beats that gives The Hush Sound even more of a unique sound. It's hard to pick favorite songs off this album, since each song is fantastic. We Intertwined is a solid song all around, a great example of Morris' solid vocals, if not as beautiful as Salpeter's voice they are still great, and the use of horns and piano. Immediately following We Intertwined is the blues-y A Dark Congregation, mixing Salpeter's soothing vocals and piano with the rougher growl of Morris' guitar, pulling out a rocking solo a minute into the song. While not my favorite song, Sweet Tangerine has my favorite chorus on the album; it's just a really good change from the rest of the song. Lions Roar is the song you'd find the most on repeat on my iPod. The horns are used perfectly, and the whole song has an extremely catchy tune and chorus to it, it is easily one of my favorites. I would go on describing the rest of the songs, but they are all simply incredible. I truly reccomend this band to anyone looking for something off the beaten path, or something that rocks out, but with a piano and trumpet instead of heavy guitar riffs (but there are some of those in Like Vines as well!).