Husky
Forever So
Liberation/Subpop
Sometimes it’s funny the way in which an album finds you. I’m not sure I would have ever checked out Husky were it not for the news that they were opening for Neil Young & Crazy Horse. Now of course they are no longer doing that – for the NZ shows – but their replacement is The Drones (in all likelihood a better fit for the bill). But I received the Husky album – released in 2011 – because the band was due to tour here and make a bit of a splash. I hope they make it here one day, I really like their album, Forever So.
It’s probably edging towards a lot of music I don’t like, but manages to stay at the end of the spectrum I find acceptable (The Shins, Elbow) and occasionally brilliant. It never goes too far towards the Keane/Coldplay end of things – but I can imagine that fans of those bands would also dig this.
The Melbourne-based combo has been signed to Subpop in the US; an interesting move and one that sees them, hopefully, moving closer to The Shins in sound/feel/dynamic and further still from the Keane/Coldplay end of the line.
Instantly I like the voice, not something that happens for me all that often with this sort of indie-pop, it’s not the wispy, few, effeminate voice of a model/actor/singer; it’s the sound of a person who can sing. Good songs too. Would seem obvious to say were it not for the fact that so few albums contain a full run of strong songs; there is no filler here, it’s tight, controlled. And it’s good.
Nothing feels fraudulent about this. I get that it might not be the cup of tea of everyone (what music is, after all?) But it was simply a nice surprise. Often you get a message saying the CD of an opening act will be sent through and you all but shudder, if you can even summon a response. But I’ve been playing this for a week or so now, almost every day, and I really like it. Still. It’s charming, inoffensive and well-mannered. Usually I would see those things are all mild turn-offs; this time it just seemed to click.
So I’m kinda bummed out that I won’t get to see them play live – but you can’t complain when The Drones are on the bill. As I say, a better fit most likely.
Best of luck to Husky then. And please come visit sometime.
I haven’t heard the album, maybe they translate better via that format but live they were staid, bland and lifeless. Beige rock at its finest. As you say, they are inoffensive but they took that to the point of innocuous irrelevance on stage when they supported NY. Perhaps in a small club they’d connect and some personality would emerge. For their sake I hope so.