The Hush Sound

Let’s start with the band name. The Hush Sound—how cool is that? It evokes “shhh,” a gentle hiss, like the one slithering out at the start of Goodbye Blues. Then there’s the pedigree: Austin and Chicago scenes, SXSW, three albums on Pete Wentz’s Fueled by Ramen label (which in itself is a pretty cool name). That third one is great, and it’s an album—holistic, cohesive, not just an iTunes playlist. “Intro” sets up the first half; “Six (interlude)” foreshadows the end. “Honey” follows “Intro”; “Molasses” follows the interlude. There’s harmony without homogeneity in the production of Kevin Augunas, who’s worked with an eclectic group of artists (Sinead O’Connor, Smashmouth, Melissa Auf der Maur, Mandy Moore). In his hands, the Hush Sound comes across like Paramore produced by Jack White in Weezer’s studio: jangly guitars, old-time piano, supportive percussion and warblingly beautiful vocals from Greta Salpeter. The quality doesn’t dip when Robert Morris takes the mike, in part because those three tracks fit so well with the others. If you haven’t heard the Hush Sound, trust me, you will. They’re gonna be big. They deserve to be.