Cush

Truly well made, indie rock, with every thing in place. The song that is the least good is still good. Favorite songs: Angelica & Heaven Sent.

If you want to make good Christian rock, you MUST listen to this album first. I encountered it years ago entirely by accident, and dozens of listens later it still isn't boring. The sound is like OK Computer-era Radiohead meets Junip, with a hint of Dispatch thrown in for good measure; at the same time, the sound is wholly Cush's own, and these comparisons are rough, not exact. The lyrics are often taken straight from the Bible (Proverbs and Isaiah, for instance) and sung in a melodic version of John McCrea's laconic groove delivery. A must-have in any well-rounded collection.

I am always searching for good music to listen to. One day, I was listening to some old tunes from my teenage days: Poor Old Lu, Violet Burning, Prayer Chain, etc. I decided to see what was up with those bands currently. Long story short, I discovered Cush. It was 2009, and I couldn't believe that this album came out 9 years ago and slipped passed my radar. Anyway, got the CD, listened to it, and it was totally not what I expected. They sounded nothing like the 90's alternative bands that I enjoyed in my youth. After a few listens however, I loved the album. Its hard to describe the album other than it's just great Rock 'n Roll. It has a little 70's rock feel ("Good Times"), a little modern alternative feel ("Aching Heart"), sometimes atmospheric ("The Clouds are All the Same"), sometimes even jazzy ("Porpoise"), but just overall an enjoyable listen. The standout performances are Michael Knott on vocals and Andrew Prickett on guitar, both legends in the Christian alternative music scene, and they really shine on this album. Like I said, there are only glimpses of the Prayer Chain's sound, or Knott's previous project's sound, but you won't be disappointed. Unfortunately, Michael Knott left the band after just one album, and this is the only full-length they have available. Maybe one day, they will get back together. If your looking for some great music to add to your collection, I would highly recommend this album.

I've been a fan of Michael Knott and The Prayer Chain for many years (a couple decades, really), and I picked up Cush when it debuted, eagerly anticipating something wonderful. I was NOT disappointed! I personally find every track on this album mesmerizing and enjoyable, and there is just so much depth and richness to the music, lyrics and overall feeling of the piece, I have listened to it dozens of times, maybe even hundreds. One thing I really enjoy about Cush that is in some contrast to other work by the artists involved, is the generally positive and optimistic feeling I get from it. While not all of the subject matter is bright and cheery, I find most of this album to be more uplifting than say, 'Mercury' or 'Strip Cycle' (both of which I love for other reasons). Cush is a must-have for any Christian rock enthusiast, but would also just be great for anyone who loves good music.

Like others have described, there are some real positive emotional vibes flowing thru the plastic of this cd. It can be a straight-forward reflection of how one feels about life, or some abstract Cushual images of a bright bomb. Either way you are rockin' out in a groovy style to some cool songs to ski to.

This is by far one of my favorite albums of all time. Mike Knott gives the best vocal performance of his career.

Cush's "New Sound" opens with the beautiful song "Heaven Sent", which begins with an instrumental-ish opening. Then once Mike Knott's voice enters, you are transported to a whole new world.... a dazzling place you never knew. The next song, "Crush Me", is a great poppy song, and then the album gets beautiful again in "Angelica". Knott really knows how to sing. And while I'm praising him, I'd like to say something about the other band members: they all play amazingly wonderful. The guitars are perfect and marveously played. And the drums are played with such humility (it seems like the drummer, Wayne Everett I think, never tries to do anything fancy; he just plays perfect). If you're thinking about buying this CD, you shouldn't. Just BUY it. It's no thinking matter. When you look up "music" in the dictionary, there's a picture of this band.

Ambient. Ethereal. Surreal. Moody. Emotional. Visceral. This CD is incredible. I have been impatiently waiting since I heard a rough cut of "Heaven Sent" six months ago. It was worth the wait - but I'm glad I didn't have to wait any longer. The music on this CD is to be experienced for long unbroken periods of time where complete absorption is possible. The songs take their time getting where they're going and the raw power in Andy Prickett's guitar is almost unbearable at times. I'm not talking about searing faster-than-light rockstar solos; I'm talking about pure emotion that packs a wallop. There's no way you will be able to fully appreciate the beauty of the music the first time through. I imagine it will be in my CD player for a LONG time before being replaced. Please, if you consider yourself to be fan of music, give this CD a try. You won't be sorry.