Tag: Lush

Posted in Album Reviews

Miki Berenyi Trio – Tripla (2025)

Posted on by Michael

After releasing a couple well received albums as Piroshka, Miki Berenyi returns as the Miki Berenyi Trio along with partner Kevin “Moose” McKillop and guitarist Oliver Cherer.  Without an actual drummer in the band, the trio instead opts for programmed drums that on most tracks has a warm sound vs sounding electronic.  Singing in a falsetto, “Kinch” takes the listener back to the 90s, sounding like Berenyi’s band Lush. “Big I Am” explores the Lush trope of taking a guy down a few pegs. “Vertigo” tells us to accept life and just breathe.

Tripla is bookended by the two best tracks. “8th Deadly Sin” shows off some stellar shoegaze guitar riffing as Berenyi sings, “You can’t see what I see/I’m gonna have to spell it out”.  Album closer “Ubique” is dreamier with a great beat, terrific vocals, and the line “Every deception breaks my heart”.  Though it has a couple skippable tracks, Tripla is another fine late career turn from the former Lush singer.

7.5/10

Posted in Album Reviews

Emma Anderson – Pearlies (2023)

Posted on by Michael

When Lush reunited in 2015, Emma Anderson worked on songs for a new album but then the band once again fizzled away.  Instead, she uses those songs for her first solo album that was produced by James Chapman who in his own music goes by the name Maps. “Bend the Round” is one of the first singles and has a bit of a spy noir sound before muted handclaps in the second first give it lift. “The Presence” is a peppy song those verses have crisp drum beats before an ocean of guitars hit on the chorus. 

A Ronettes drum beat and organ like keys, gives “I Was Miles Away” a 60s feel while the acoustic lead “Willow and Mallow” has a psychedelic folk sound courtesy of Richard Oakes who appears on several tracks. One of the most memorable moments is on “Clusters” where Anderson sings about “all the pretty boys, all the pretty girls”.  In some spots, Anderson’s voice floats high and in other parts it’s grounded and plaintive. This is not life changing stuff, but it’s mature indie rock for those who used to have music badges on their school bags. Sometimes drifting away while staring up at the stars is a good thing.

7.5/10

Posted in Listed

Favourite 2016 Reissue

Posted on by Michael

51algifrsll-_aa261_ql65_Lush – Chorus:  Two years ago, Lush would not have been the first band we thought of for a boxset collection but early in 2016, get one we did. The storybook style CD case contained all three albums + the Gala and Topolino compilations.  Alongside those albums came a pile of BBC sessions, remixes and rarities.  Around here, “Sweetness and Light” still gets regular rotation and the first five songs from Split contain the same rush of excitement as it did back in 1994.  Now if someone could do the same for the Curve collection we’d appreciate it.