The Hush Sound return in 2008 with their third studio album, Goodbye Blues. Like their previous releases, it showcases their distinctive indie pop sound. What makes The Hush Sound stand out from their contemporaries is their co-frontman, Greta Salpeter. A classically trained pianist since the age of three, Salpeter’s singing, playing, and songwriting brings a very unique element to The Hush Sound that most bands in the same realm are lacking. This element blended with rock guitar, as heard on the album’s first single “Honey,” is when you hear them at their best.

One of the unusual things about Goodbye Blues compared to its 2006 predecessor, Like Vines, is the division of lead vocals between Salpeter and guitarist Bob Morris. Unlike their previous releases, where singing was more evenly split, Salpeter sings a considerable amount more than Morris. It’s also easy to tell who wrote which song based on whether it is piano- or guitar-driven. Unfortunately, the latter type (as heard on songs such as “Not Your Concern”) tends to suffer, simply because the piano – their distinguishing feature – is suffocated, and their uniqueness is lost. That said, there are a couple of ballad-type songs which basically feature only Salpeter, which balance these songs out.

Goodbye Blues is a good album, but besides The Hush Sound incorporating pieces of swing and blues into some songs, such as “Love You Much Better” and “Medicine Man,” it doesn’t really show a lot of growth for the band. In that sense, Goodbye leaves them where they were before, albeit with a bigger fan base.

Goodbye Blues is nice to listen to and relax. Hopefully, the band will reach out into new territory next time around and truly put that little “extra” into “ordinary.”

7 out of 10

- Review by Todd Hansen