L is for Lush

Hello everybody,

I can’t remember at what point in the early nineties I first listened to London, England’s Lush, but once I did it did not take long at all for me to fall in love with them. The band initially formed in 1987 as The Baby Machines and featured two female singers and guitarists, Emma Anderson and Miki Berenyi. A year later the band changed its name to Lush. The wall of sound this band created was complemented perfectly by the dual vocal delivery of Anderson and Berenyi, making for one heck of a unique style of Britpop and shoegaze.

The Gala album that was released in the U.S. November 1990 was a compilation of the first three EPs from Lush. This material was very good but the first full-length from the band, Spooky released early 1992 was the disc that truly made me take notice. Produced by Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins, the guitars on that album were incredibly loud and intense, yet those harmonies highlighted the pop hooks that were all over the disc. I loved it and the band ended up being a part of the roster for the second Lollapalooza Festival in 1992.

Sadly drummer Chris Acland committed suicide in 1996 and after trying to soldier on for a spell Lush disbanded in 1998. Check them out if you get a chance, this music is absolutely timeless and any fan of a band that can create a beautiful wall of sound will love what Lush created during its career.

Here is a little sample for you, my favorite song from Lush, “Superblast!”

Cheers!
Album Inspiration: Spooky