VARIOUS ARTISTS
Flag: A Hush Records Primer (Hush Records)
By: Alex Steininger
Now, when I think of Hush, I don't usually think of humor. I think of singer-songwriters playing solo acoustic, or mostly solo acoustic, music. But, inside the liner notes for Hush Records' Flag, I found a nice little letter that I found hilarious:The name of my band is Hush. My name is Jae and I am the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and writer. I don't know where you found your idea or how you came up with the name Hush, but I don't appreciate it. Hush has been the name of my band since I was in high school. You can either write me back or you can ignore this. I suggest you do reply. If we can work something out, that would be great. If not, further action will take place.
Hush Records' owner Chad Crouch and his reply:
Hello Jae. Sorry to hear you're not pleased with the name of this record label. I can see how you'd be real upset. I mean going all the way back to high school and everything. We'll try to think of a new name real quick because Lord knows there's going to be a lot of mix-ups. Chad.
That letter alone made the record for me. However, Jeff London's "Grenada" and "Automatic", Reclinerland's "Miss Haze" and "So It Goes", Kind of Like Spitting's "Portland Nationals" and "Trials of the Spiky Belt Collective", and Corrina Repp's "Storm Petrel" and "At the End of the Night" singer-songwriter, heart-on-the-sleeve songs grabbed me and made the record very musically interesting to me.
The biggest surprise of the album, however, was Amy Annelle's two tracks, "Ode to the Exhausted" and "A Place for Everything". Two beautifully, charming songs that will grab you with Annelle's sweet voice and hold you in with her solid songwriting and warming melodies.
Usually label samplers are nothing more than records that should be given away for free to let people know about the label. However, Flag is worthy of being an album on its own. I'll give it a B.
