Fallon Cush - Fallon Cush
2011, Fallon Cush
Fallon Cush was born almost inspite of front man Steve Smith's stubborn individualism. Smith, a twenty-plusyear veteran of the Australian Indie scene, went into the studio to record witha group of long-time friends and collaborators including Scott Alpin (keys);Josh Schubeth (drums); Bill Gibson (bass); Matt Galvin (guitar) and BertThompson (drums). The songs had never been heard before; really just roughoutlines of melody, lyrics and guitar. What started out as a recording sessionturned into a Kafka-esque transformation, and before long a new band, FallonCush, was born. Smith has long had an almost preternatural fear of bands,stepping away from Catherine Wheel before they could sign with a major label ashe feared they had reached their creative peak. But even Smith knows betterthan to walk away from the siren song of The Muse. The band's debut album, alsocalled Fallon Cush, was released this summer.
One of the advantages of thecreative process used by Fallon Cush is the loose, organic sound that oftenresults. Fallon Cush captures this aura in a catchy Americana-style medium,evident from the opening notes of the first track, "Tiny Town". Thesong has a solid, commercial sound with distinctive pop sensibility and akiller chorus. "The Trouble With A Moonlit Night" features plussongwriting and an affably informal style. The melody here drives the song,with sonically appealing rough edges ala early Badfinger or Beatles recordings.Fallon Cush impresses with the simple force of songs such as "Kiss YouAwake" and "Disintegrate", and the sweet melodies of"Sleeping Giant" and "Dog Day Afternoon". Perhaps thehighlight of the album is "The Great Divide", a catchy, messy andloose tune that's as close to a live-to-tape experience as you'll find. FallonCrush closes with the solid sensibility of "Postcard", a perfectbookend for an experience that might be fleeting but will last in memory.
Fallon Cush may not stand the testof time. There's no telling when Steve Smith might pull the plug, as he wouldconsider it dishonorable to continue any band beyond its creative peak. Butthere's a sort of low-level magic that thrums through the songs on FallonCush. Even in its quieter moments, Fallon Cush is filled with acreative energy and drive that's palpable. Smith's willingness to surrender thedevelopment of the songs on Fallon Cush to a group creative process hasraised his art a notch, while retaining the individualism he so fiercelyprides. By all accounts, Fallon Cush is an artistic success.
Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)
Learn more about Fallon Cush at www.falloncush.com or www.myspace.com/falloncush. Fallon Cush is available as a CD or Download from CDBaby.