With their fourth EP,
Black Spring,
Lush took their first steps out of the shadow of
the Cocteau Twins. While the angelic vocals and swirling, hypnotic guitar of lead track "Nothing Natural" still evoke
the Cocteaus (whose
Robin Guthrie produces, further muddying the waters), an insistent bassline and energetic drums clearly align the song with the Ecstasy-fueled club-pop coming out of Manchester. In short, it's danceable, and since when could you say that about a
Cocteaus confection? A sublime cover of late
Beach Boy Dennis Wilson's "Fallin' in Love" and the gossamer "God's Gift" further emphasize
Lush's evolving pop instincts, but "Monochrome" is the proverbial step back, at best suggesting something retrieved from
the Cocteaus' cutting-room floor. ~ Jason Ankeny