Cush
     
   


Just another great super group. Comprised of members from  
The Prayer Chain, Starflyer 59, Fold Zandura, and more

New Sound

1 Heaven Sent (6:17) 
2 Crush Me (3:27) 
3 Angelica (5:09) 
4 Good Times (4:48) 
5 Clouds Are All the Same (5:32) 
6 Starry Starry Seas (4:35) 
7 Arching Heart (6:36) 
8 Shining Glory (6:05) 
9 Touch (5:14) 
10 Porpoise (5:26) 
11 Bomb Was Brighter Than the Stars (6:28) 
12 Smallest Part (5:44) 
  *Editor's Pick*
 Overall rating: + + + + -

          Album Review

New melodic modern rock is an accurate label to pin on the initial release from Cush, except for the "new" part of the equation. All Cush members are seasoned veterans of the Christian rock scene, coming from a variety of musical backgrounds. Led by Michael Knott (LSU, Aunt Bettys) and featuring members of The Prayer Chain, Starflyer 59 and Fold Zandura (among others), Cush is more of a musical concept than an actual band. Oddly-tuned guitars, slice of life themes and distinguishable, passionate vocals quickly clue the savvy listener as to whose influence most directly drives Cush's self-titled debut. Yes, Michael Knott, take two steps forward. "Heaven Sent," which represents love and love lost, leads off the album with lush guitars and is followed by another, slightly cheerier relationship song, "Crush Me." Knott continues his streak of strangely beautiful songs that have "bomb" in the title with "The Bomb Was Brighter Than the Stars" (this joins "The Bomb" and "Rocket and a Bomb" from his repertoire), while "The Touch" connects the listener to the gift that is God's love. Nine of the 12 cuts are over five minutes in length, which can make the album seem to drag a bit, but this is easily forgivable because of the fine musicianship included within. Knott's work here isn't as underground as many of his previous efforts, but in a society where alternative music has become the mainstream, Cush provides a true quality alternative. 

-- Chris Mcneece

 

The band plays a somewhat dreamy rock not unlike The Surfers or Everything but the Girl. Considering the members involved, it's not hard to see why comparisons to Honey and occasionally to The Lassie Foundation and Mike Knott's work would be in order as well. "Angelica" has a guitar solo very similar to The Lassie Foundation's "She's Long Gone--She's the Coming Sun," and many of the falsetto background vocals hearken to Wayne Everett's work with Starflyer 59 and The Lassie Foundation. The entire record has a feel much like Honey's Lost on You, except that Cush is not a worship album. Whether Knott is singing to his daughter about his wife (as in "Heaven Sent") or about the beauty of a girl named Angelica (in "Angelica"), most of Cush is about relationships with friends and loved ones.

Considering the many people involved, the record is incredibly cohesive. Due mostly to one main vocalist and a rather consistent production throughout, Cush keeps the same ethereal and breathy feel through all the tracks.

The only complaint about the record is that it doesn't really rock hard enough in places. There is not enough diversity in the sound. Considering that the members' bands, like Aunt Bettys, The Prayer Chain, and Fold Zandura, have rocked fans quite a bit in the past, it's hard to see why Cush doesn't here. It is a rather emotional record, but at the same time, the band seems to put a lid on much of the emotion, keeping songs like "Angelica" mid-tempo rockers at best. Mark Kozelek has made a career out of mellow songs with Red House Painters, but the members of Cush haven't. So that aspect of the record is somewhat of a letdown.

-- Smith

Label: Northern Records

 

Interviews

in-one-ear.com

Spiritual Ep

1. Run Mary Run 
2. My God is Real 
3. We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace 
4. Nobody Knows The Trouble I See 
5. Sign of the Judgement 
6. I Would Die 4 U 

Overall rating: + + + -
 


 Album Review

OK, kids, get out your scorecards.  It's time to play the Cush game again!  Run out and get what is billed as the first of three EPs of spirituals from a rather fluid group of guys (and gals) that record under the name of Cush.

Every time this band puts out a new disc, Internet discussion boards are all atwitter with talk of "Who sang track one?" or "Is that so and so on the last song?"  And this new EP is no different.

The good news is that this disc is simply wonderful.  The bad news is that if you're looking for answers of who sang on which song, you're out of luck.  I have those answers, and I don't mean to be a smarty-pants, but out of respect for what the label and Cush are trying to do, you're not gonna get them here.  Suffice it to say that this current effort from Cush consists of some of the usual suspects and some newer ones from the Northern Records extended family.  Some of them are more obvious than others.  

The album consists of modern interpretations of spirituals, some old, some not so old.  The disc kicks off with a very cool and rollicking version of the old 19th century Negro spiritual "Run, Mary, Run," followed by a more mellow southern gospel standard, "My God is Real," complete with beautiful female lead vocals over some nice strumming.

Third up is a nice peaceful group sing-a-long of "We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace," and then a very sparse rendition of "Nobody Knows the Trouble I See."  (If you can't guess who this is, check your pulse and clean your ears!).

The project wraps up with two of the hipper songs on the disc.  A call and response version of "Sign of the Judgment" (made famous by W.C. Handy) that sounds like something Moby would have used on one of his more recent recordings.  And finally, one of the more modern "spirituals" on the disc, a neat version of "I Would Die 4 U," written by The Artist Once Again Known As Prince, and sung in a Dylan-esque style by one of the future stars of the music scene, complete with accompaniment on acoustic guitar, keyboard, and typewriter.

My only gripe is that it's too short.  Why three EPs of spirituals, rather than one full disc?  No sooner do I pop this one in the CD player, sit back, and relax, then BOOM... it's over.  Hey gang, there's no such thing as too much of a good thing!

So if you like the previous releases from Cush, then you will certainly love this disc.  Don't buy it because good ol' Whatshisname sings track four.  Buy it because Cush is hip/def/phat/groovy (or insert slang term of your choice).  And buy it because Cush is one of the best things going on the music scene right now.  End of discussion.  Now go play the home version of the Cush game.  

 ~Ken Mueller of tollbooth.org