Album Notes

There's something eternally attractive about the rock trio format -- some of rock & roll's finest and most powerful bands have consisted of nothing more than a guy singing and playing guitar with a bass player and drummer alongside him. That's the format used by the St. Louis-based trio Lapush, but if you're expecting something like either the Jam's taut mod-pop attack or Cream's elephantine, bluesy swagger, think again: these guys specialize in a medium-tempo, sometimes rather mopey version of the rock trio approach that puts mood over hooks and doesn't hesitate to add a few quirky electronic keyboards to the mix. Singer Thom Donovan comes across as something kind of like an enervated Bono, letting his voice fall into a croak at times but rarely pushing himself to emotional extremes. As a guitarist he's more interesting than flashy -- "Tout le Monde" features what is probably the best six-note guitar solo ever recorded. Throughout the album there are hints of an extensive 1980s record collection; apart from the Bono influence, there's "Quit You Now," which sounds suspiciously like an Echo & the Bunnymen outtake circa 1984. But if you unfocus your ears from the derivative bits and take the songs on their own terms, you'll find yourself being quietly enchanted over and over again. Recommended.

--Rick Anderson, All Music Guide