Hush Hush

Hush Hush’s debut album, Cinematheque, was more like a solo effort for Keri Steele whose previous band, Imaginary Heaven, didn’t allow her to stretch herself artistically. She worked with producer Ken Harrison (from the Wild Strawberries), but when it came to performing live, she wanted to put together a real band. These days Hush Hush is a four-piece band whose sound is augmented by a cello. Working with Harrison must have had a bigger influence on the band that they expected because Fake has ended up sounding a lot like the Wild Strawberries, even without his involvement this time round. There’s even a touch of Sarah McLachlan in Steele’s voice, but that might be down to the production more than anything else. Their own material is the strongest, perhaps because of the increased confidence from singing songs that they were involved in writing. There’s a very faithful cover of the Velvet Underground’s "Femme Fatale,” which doesn’t do the band any harm, but an attempt at the Byrds’ "So You Want To Be A Rock & Roll Star” doesn’t fare so well and it is reduced to a listless plod that simply doesn’t work. Fake is a confident album, with a commercial sound that could bring Hush Hush some widespread success. But the glossy production makes me feel that their sound has been a little tamed and it would be really good to hear them soar instead.