The Hush Sound takes a step away from their typical musical fare with their third album, Goodbye Blues. Following So Sudden and Like Vines, the Chicago group introduced new techniques to deepen its sound, expand its horizons in style and content and, perhaps, broaden its fan base.
Calling the album Goodbye Blues may be a misnomer; the Hush Sound has, in reality, said hello"" by adding blues styling to their peppy alternative tunes. The group received its biggest break thus far with the attention of the bands Panic at the Disco and Fall Out Boy. However, the Hush Sound has always showed much more originality and range with little to none of the mainstream success the other groups have found. Goodbye Blues announces that the Hush Sound has a bright future in front of them, if they can continue to bring in techniques that improve their sound and set them apart.
One of the most impressive differences from the first two albums is the change in pianist/vocalist Greta Salpeter's voice. Where she once sounded breathy and ethereal, she has pulled in depth and strength to give her singing a bluesy, husky feel. The change brings the music from pretty to powerful, especially coupled with more predominant piano on many of the tracks. One great track that shows this difference is ""The Boys
Are Too Refined,"" which combines a characteristically beautiful piano intro and Greta's new, husky vocals for a hybrid style between old and new.
A disappointment is the departure from fantastical, creative lyrics in favor of the more traditional love and heartbreak. On a behind-the-scenes video included on the bonus track version of the album (it's not really worth it, by the way), Salpeter sums up the new songs well, describing them as having more ""depth"" while being less '""himsical"" than past tracks.
For fans looking for a familiar, older sound from the group, both ""As You Cry"" and ""Not Your Concern"" have the same sound as many tracks from the first two albums. Two songs that largely depart from this style are ""Intro,"" a very traditional and classical short track that signals the change in direction, and the jazzy, upbeat ""Love You Much Better.""
With their latest album Goodbye Blues, the Hush Sound has created a musical experience that is original, beautiful and more powerful than their previous albums. It could be their chance to gain more attention from a broader range of listeners. While it wouldn't be bad for the band to bring back some of the whimsy that characterized their first two albums, the new direction the Hush Sound has taken may be their ticket to bigger and brighter things.
