Shoegaze band Lush (consisting of singer Miki Berenyi, guitarist Emma Anderson, bassist Phil King, and drummer Chris Acland) had a cult following in the 90s. They released three excellent albums, Spooky, Split, and the Britpop-influenced Lovelife. However, since Acland passed away in 1996, the band went into a period of mourning, splitting up a few years later.
However the three members felt the time was right to reform in September last year. They brought in former Elastica drummer Justin Welch, subsequently announcing two London dates at the Camden Roundhouse. Additionally, they released a new song this month, ‘Out of Control’, taken from the new EP Blind Spot, set for release in April.
‘Out of Control’ is a welcome return; the swirling guitars take the listener on a relaxing journey. Although it wouldn’t look out of place on Spooky, there is a feeling of maturity in the lyrics, which could be about a parent’s feelings towards a child. The catchy, overlapping solo from Anderson intertwines beautifully with the unusual chords, while Berenyi’s vocals sound angelic and confident.
With a plethora of bands reforming recently, it is great to see Lush bringing out new music, and ‘Out of Control’ sets things up nicely for the EP release.
Words by Ermis Madikopoulos