The Rushes - Corners EP (Island)

RichMyself | Wednesday, 30 April 2008

The Rushes show us exactly how to meld pop and indie with the release of their new 'Corners' EP. A skill usually left to the Hoosiers and Scouting for Girls of this world, the band make beautiful melodies their business on this record.

Hailing from Leeds, but currently residing in the murky depths of South London, The Rushes have quite clearly been honing their craft for a decent amount of time. Combining the kind of glossy hooks that have seen The Feeling fly to the top of the charts and the indie-rock assault which has seen Kings of Leon headline Glastonbury, The Rushes seemingly have a formula that works.

Title track 'Corners' has moments which could quite easily see it rocket to the top of the chart. 'Ripping It Down' sees singer Gerald O’Connell push his limits; limits which seem to suggest that the lads have much more to offer than your average indie-pop clone.

In a scene which sees many bands come and go at the rate of knots, it takes much more than hooks to put yourself ahead of the crowd. Capable of writing the hit ('What You Waiting For') and the slow burner ('Stop It') By the end of this five-song EP, The Rushes have shown far more than what’s necessary to suggest that they could be following the footsteps of the Kings of Leon and seeing themselves up on the pyramid stage in the not-so-distant future.

Rating: 4/5