Hushtones – Greetings From The Other Side: Album Review

By Mike Ainscoe on 2nd August 2021 • ( Leave a comment )

Hushtones follow up the promise of their Sinking single with an album that shows they’re more than just purveyors of lush pop sensibilities.

Release date: 6th August 2021

Format: Digital

Does a great single herald a great album? Sinking was a most promising teaser from Liverpool’s Hushtones’ debut album so anticipation is high when we drop the needle to test out their staying power on the ten tracks that greet us from the other side.

With the title track giving way to the single, it’s a strong start. The former is a power pop beauty that wouldn’t be out of place with Debbie Harry stood at the front. Get the picture? Add the luscious harmonies once more, a touch of bubbly sequencer and we’re grinning like the proverbial Cheshire Cat.

A perfect sound for the Summer of ’21 and the antidote to the preceding twelve months; bright, light and infectious. Music to jump about to. But not all of it mind. From the whirlwind of the opening three tracks where the enrgy is nudging the needle into the red, there’s a diversion into a cool and soulful vibe on State Of Mind that sets off a brief interval where washes of dreamy pop ambience – cymbal rides and gentle strokes of guitar chords – provide a restful lull. Feels a little like we’ve drifted into a West Coast psychedelic zone.

While Wild picks up the pace again, it strikes home that Hushtones’ signature is not too dissimilar to the lush polished tones of Stockport’s finest, Blossoms. They’re in good company.And talking of influences and inspirations, surely The Specials, Madness and the Ska movement have played their part judging by some of the jagged little House Of Fun bursts in Burning.

Amongst the variety of brushes with the uptempo that flow from the jangly pop core, Greetings From The Other Side is a polished piece of work. Any rough. edges or rawness is given a glossy shine and shimmer, all the way through to the genteelness of In Your Head. That’s when it strikes home that although it’s great to let loose, the track emphasises how the quintet are capable of some finely crafted music.

How much have they moved on rom their homemade debut EP? The evidence suggest it’s been significant. Greetings From The Other Side provides plenty of evidence that Hushtones have a part to play in the illustrious musical history of their home city.

Here’s a reminder of Sinking: