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The Hush Sound

So Sudden. [reissue]
2005
Fueled by Ramen / Decaydence

The Hush Sound - So Sudden. [reissue] (Cover Artwork)

Review by: Anchors
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Published on January 29th 2006

Fueled by Ramen are one of the most diverse labels around in the underground music scene today. Hahaha oh man, almost with a straight face. Almost.

Hosts of a multitude of bands with angular haircuts and worse lyrics...and Gym Class Heroes, FBR are if nothing else consistent with their output. Consistently bad, but hey, it’s something. The Hush Sound fall perfectly into the template set by every other pop-rock band on the roster, putting a lot of effort into melody, but not so much into really crafting the songs behind them.

So Sudden starts off well intentioned enough, with some quirky Old Western-esque piano keystrokes, which quickly gives way to just being a standard pop-rock track accompanied by the underlying melody of the piano, which really only gets the time to breathe when the vocals of Bob Morris aren’t present. Not to detract from Morris, he’s got a pleasant and strong enough voice to give each song a chance to be something special, and a few times, he meets with great success. That opening track, “City Traffic Puzzle,” despite the underuse of the piano, ends up being a terrific track with some quick chord progressions that add some depth and variety. The songs are not always quite so engaging, however. The problems arise when Greta Salpeter, who also handles some piano and guitar duties, starts to sing.

It’s not that she has a bad voice, quite the opposite actually, as it’s gorgeous, but the songs she handles the majority of vocal duties for are just downright boring. Lazy riffs, lazy bass and drum work, they’re just complete filler thrown on the record, I’m guessing to add some diversity. Had they left the same formula found in the first track, opting for instrumental variety rather than vocal, things would be fine, but the fact remains that the songs on which she sings fall flat. They do also change things up with different tempos, and letting the piano hold a more prominent role, though still understated. But for the rest of the album, they’re simply not able to recapture the fun and enjoyability factor that the quirky first track demonstrated.

So in effect, what’s left is a hollow shell of what could have been a good pop-rock record. There’s interesting and enjoyable elements in place, but the band really needs to step back and look at the big picture, and get to concentrating less on multi-layered harmonies and cheesy lyrics, and more on just writing good, solid songs.

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Posted by fugazifreak on 2007-05-09 16:04:11
My Score:

very talented and original

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 6, 2006 at 6:16 PM (EDT)

im from chicago and im in love with the hush sound. they are definitely one of the only bands i know that are as good if not better live than the CD. fuck anyone who says that they suck live

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, April 28, 2006 at 11:31 AM (EDT)

You should definatly go to town with your opinions. I didn't think i would like the hush sound when i first got their cd, but man was i amazed. Whoever can make "jokes" about Greta salpeter's voice, if thats what you're doing, should stand alone. And maybe it's just cause you're really opinionated.
And about fueled by ramen?
Some of the most newcoming successors are coming out of that deal. You should stop the jealousy or whatever you call that :]

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, April 8, 2006 at 4:39 PM (EDT)
My Score:

that's recoculous to call them fashion-core...
i'm pretty sure most of you are just using that term so liberally to apply it to anything that you don't like... news flash. fashion-core has something to do with the -core on the end of it... n00bz...

anyways. this album is terrific. they can hold it live... i swear on gods holy earth that this is the ONLY other band on Decaydence (minus lifetime) that are worth it's salt... I will admit, it's a DECENT (not neccessarly amazing)... they are the most unique sound on the label, pushing away from the gross pop-punk that has made FBR a scourge of the nation... but the music is sugary beatles pop with a little more rock (but, comparitively horrible crafted songs)...

so, to you all, i am like, qtf, where do you get the idea that they're horrible... they have about five points of awesomeness above 80% of the bands out there right now...

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 1:46 AM (EST)
My Score:

this cd is amazing and they're the nicest people.
fuck what you thik.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, February 3, 2006 at 2:17 PM (EST)

i agree, ive seen them about 6 times. everywhere from metro to a backyard. and they definatly cant hold it live.

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at 9:29 PM (EST)

This band can't play live? Please..they are very entertaining live. Plus their music is what it is. Fun,catchy pop music. Sorry it's not chaning the world like everything else you all listen to. Give me a break. The Hush Sound is a good band who is doing something they love and having fun doing it.

-beasly

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at 1:01 PM (EST)

hehehehehe this is such a bad band. why are they even still a band. they cant think that they are something good.

A for the review
F for the band

Posted by Jesse on 2006-02-01 09:47:32

FBR had some great releases in the past....Impossibles, Animal Chin, Frodus, the first Recover, The Causey Way, Cadillac Blindside...I dug all these releases whne they came out (Mind you, I don't really listen to much of them now). FBR used to be a great label before it turned into Drive-Thru 2: Electric Boogaloo.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at 6:31 PM (EST)

this band is terrible.

100% terrible.

and that's a total straight face.

Posted by SilentStorms on 2006-01-31 15:25:47

Didn't this label release Frodus and the first Recover album though? But I do agree, as the majority of their releases are pretty weak.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, January 30, 2006 at 9:37 PM (EST)

Hush is a horrible Batman Villian.

Posted by TheOneTrueBill on 2006-01-29 23:28:41

Are you kidding? I'd love to play for Lou Pinella just because I'd get the chance to piss him off all the time.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, January 29, 2006 at 10:02 PM (EST)

best band on FBR? Wow, that says a lot

kind of like being the best player on the Tampa Bay Devil Rays...even if you are...you still lose

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, January 29, 2006 at 5:15 PM (EST)

how the hell can you label the hush sound as fashioncore you idiot?

the hush sound is a great band and one of the best on the fueled by ramen roster.

Posted by TheOneTrueBill on 2006-01-29 15:30:22

I guess that it's good that I have no idea who these guys are and I'm from Chicago.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, January 29, 2006 at 3:04 PM (EST)

Cause i guess a t-shirt and jeans is the new, huge, fashion take over. You fucking clown college graduate. Too bad some underoath fan reviewed this record like a total wrench. The Hush Sound > every other band on Fueled by Ramen.

- Thee Gibson.

Posted by darkstarm on 2006-01-29 13:44:28

Huge in Chicago. FBR signed them after they played like six shows, I think. This stuff just isn't very interesting. And yes, Pete Wentz is TRYING to ruin the Chicago scene. Not for long though.

Posted by steveman on 2006-01-29 04:44:53

This band is soooo popular in Chicago. It's redic. Soo many better bands around here though. Damn Pete Wentz ruining our scene.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, January 29, 2006 at 1:11 AM (EST)
My Score:

fuck this band. fuck the label.

score is for the review

Posted by Jesse on 2006-01-29 00:37:33

This band is a sham. They can't play live. It's just fashion-core for sixteen year olds.

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