It seems like each day we are reminded that the old saying “Never say never” is virtually redundant, especially when it comes to golden era indie bands. Did we actually believe My Bloody Valentine would follow up ‘Loveless’? Not really. Would Slowdive or Ride honestly get back together and play shows again? It looked doubtful. Well, all of those things came to pass. More to the point, they were excellent; adding to their legacies instead of sullying them.
Despite it seeming unlikely, Lush became the next band to reunite, announcing that 2016 would see their first live performances since the mid-nineties. What was even more surprising, that once the hyperbole surrounding their return had seemingly died down, and almost 20 years to the day since they released their third album, ‘Lovelife’, the band announced a new EP, ‘Blind Spot’.
Naturally, expectation for Lush to deliver on their new EP was incredibly high. Their fearlessly devoted fan base has grown exponentially over the last 20 years, particularly with the shoegaze/nineties revival in recent times. Not only did they have to show their old fans they still had it, but they needed to prove a point to their new fans as to why they are still important. Thankfully, across the four sprawling tracks that make up ‘Blind Spot’, they have achieved all of this and more.
Rather than continue the Britpop swagger of ‘Lovelife’, Lush have dialled back to the glassy-eyed haze of their earlier work. Dreamy reverb echoes around the simple chord progression of ‘Out Of Control’, with Miki Berenyi’s swooning vocal melodies poured over the top. While they still show the same comparisons to Cocteau Twins as they did in their formative years, with weeping strings bolstering ‘Rosebud’, this sounds very much like a Lush record.
The lackadaisical hum of ‘Lost Boy’ could easily be seen as tribute to their original drummer Chris Acland, who sadly passed away in 1996. Former Elastica member Justin Welch does a fitting job filling his position and keeps the rhythm section airtight alongside bassist Philip King. Regardless of the flecks of melancholy buried within ‘Blind Spot’, they haven’t lost their ability to write a shimmering pop song. The hook-laden ‘Burnham Beeches’ shows the rhythmic finesse of Emma Anderson’s guitar playing, backing up Bereyni’s vocals with warm harmonies.
Whether or not this marks a fully fledged return to music for Lush remains to be seen, but ‘Blind Spot’ proves they haven’t come back simply to milk the cash cow. This creative burst has asserted the relevance of Lush in today’s climate and are deserving of every bit of praise sent their way. It’s a pleasure to have them back.
GLEN BUSHELL