Lush: Blind Spot

It’s been 20 years since Lush last released new material. They’ve reunited, and their new EP Blind Spot suffers not from a couple decades of rust, but only from its brevity. The four songs here announce Lush’s return, but they’re just a tease. A vital part of the early ’90s shoegaze scene, Lush didn’t have the noise and force of some their peers, but they had a hookier sensibility. For this new release, the Britpop catchiness is gone in favor of the group’s dreamier side, with each of the four tracks performed behind the veil.

The group’s as vital as ever, though. “Lost Boy” grows spookier with each listen, losing some of its sheen in nervous patience. “Out of Control” best echoes the past, not only because of its musical layering, but also because of its reflection on hurt and irreconcilability even in the desire of wanting to make up and not to fight. The disc closes with “Rosebud” and a troubling ambiguity between death and sleep with the lullaby of “Goodnight, my baby girl” being shadowed by “I am closer to death / holding my breath.” It’s an evocative exit, prompting hope that Lush won’t drift off any time soon.