reviewed by Michael Thomas
If you see as many shows in Toronto as we do, at some point or another you’re bound to run into Triple Gangers; by proxy, you’ll also be running into Ida Maidstone’s heavenly voice. Vocals are always one thing Triple Gangers have done better than most of their electronic counterparts- the three-part harmonies are stunning.
Hush Pup is the new “dream pop” project with Ida Maidstone providing the vocals, and it shows that Maidstone is a vocal force to be reckoned with. Somehow she manages to make her vocals both breathy and endlessly affecting. Trying to match her is impossible.
The three tracks on Darlene all show slightly different sides of the trio, making for a maddeningly small but tasty sample of what is surely to come in the future.
“Dusty Rose” employs steel guitar over drums at first, amply providing the “dusty” part of the song title. When it brings in keyboards and Maidstone’s vocals it takes on an unexpectedly retro feel.
By far the dreamiest of this dream-pop collection is the album’s title tracks. Featuring glorious, sustained notes on the keys and an idiosyncratic vocal touch, “Darlene” could easily pass for a lullaby, but it’s more likely to cause swooning than sleeping.
The last track is “Sign 11:11″ which immediately gives indication that it will be a more upbeat affair. It delivers on that promise, ending on several notes of distortion that suggest Hush Pup doesn’t solely deal in sweetness.
Recent posts on Hush Pup’s Facebook page suggest that the trio is over on the west coast of Canada right now. Here’s hoping they will return to Toronto soon and shower the city with love, but for the time being, Darlene will do just fine.
Top Track: “Darlene”
Rating: Proud Hoot (Really Good) +*swoop*
