Hush Collector is an incredibly accurate moniker for this trio, as their music is just that -- a collection of quiet, reflective songs marked by sexily hushed (npi) vocals, wheezy atmospherics, and slowburning progressions. However, that shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, seeing as how vocalist Poppy Gonzalez previously collaborated with Mojave 3.
However, the trio (Gonzalez, Katie Mummery on vocals/piano/guitar, Peter Simmons on guitar/bass) move beyond simple folky/slowcore territory. Their best moments, "Mountain Song" and "It Don't Matter," instead recall music that's even more removed and foreboding, not to mention slower and more measured -- the pastoral sounds of Talk Talk and Mark Hollis' solo work.
"Mountain Song" creeps along on intricate percussion, skeletal piano, and bluesy guitars, only to cut off in seemingly mid-stride, right when it's gaining momentum. "It Don't Matter" is the album's strongest and most enthralling track, its threadbare guitar atmospherics and brushed cymbals creating a twilight glade of sound through which Gonzalez' seductive voice lazily sways. And while the band knows how to restrain themselves, they also know when to release, allowing a storm of shivering electric guitar to erupt at just the right point before fading away again, its aftershocks rippling through the song's remainder.
Flowby only contains four songs, so it serves as only the barest of introductions to the group's music. But as I listen to a track like "It Don't Matter," I'm left wanting even more of these lush, hushed sounds. Hush Collector has built for themselves a very solid foundation, and hopefully, it's just a sign of even better things to come.
