SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Here is one of those wondrous obscurities that you're going to be really glad I unearthed for you. It's by Brighton singer/ songwriter Pete Lush who, apart from the occasional statutory nod to Nick Drake, sounds a bit like Blur might if they mated with Belle and Sebastien (eg, the winsomely breathy vocals). It is a debut of surpassing gorgeousness - charmingly home-made; pretty acoustic intros; absolutely top melodies; and just the right amount of weirdness in the arrangements (theremins, etc) to stop it sounding like all the other singer-songwriters.

James Delingpole

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COMES WITH A SMILE

If you've ever wished Fonda 500 would stop messing about and make some real songs, Brighton's Things in Herds are what you need. By using (but not abusing) all those familiar bedroom-recording tricks - emulated strings, drum machine tracks and noises of unknown origin - whilst maintaining a subtle acoustic basis throughout, the product is as original and refreshing as you will hear all year. Giving an indication of the alternative lo-fi sound Things... produce, Sparklehorse's high-frequency sounds and Blur's experimentation with choppy chords and computer-noise influence Now We Slide and The People Trap.

But I Can Dancing..., self-produced and released on their own G-folk label, is mainly a folksy, personal record. Pete Lush's vocal intimacy is combined most effectively with melancholy on Too Happy... and Nothing Much to produce a haunting feeling fans of Mojave 3 would relish. A lighter moment emerges in the form of New Ending, an acoustic lullaby with whispery backing vocals. Sad Song 1 gives an indication of Lush's oft-troubled frame of mind - sad songs 2 and 3 obviously aren't far behind. But it is the hidden vulnerability of the closing track, I Don't Need A Thing that more accurately sums up the slowly-slowly pace Things... thrive on and that fuels this intelligent, beautiful album.

Chris Horkan - CWAS / Lost Harbour

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DO SOMETHING PRETTY

On a miserable Sunday with trees crashing down all around me and the world sliding into more and more disarray I once again turned to music for some calming and comforting therapy, specifically I Can Dancing and Walking by Things in Herds. Despite their name sounding like a deranged and whining emo band, TIH give my ears a rest from the wind and ever increasing arsenal of bands who believe simply being loud means being good. Pete Lush has a name fitting to the flowing and gentle pop music he creates and joins the like of Goldrush and the majestic Beck in his use of an acoustic guitar mixed with strange electronica. TIH’s marry this combo in a stripped down fashion with I can… allowing the ragged beauty of the songs shine through and over the beats and electronic swirls.

Pete Lush’s vocal style wavers between Robyn of Goldrush, not the only similarity, and more impressively Jeff Buckley, but with less melancholy. It’s a hard task making out some of the lyrics, but it doesn’t seem to matter. The gentle flow of the guitar and high-pitched melodic mumbling hits the right spot and you can always decide what the lyrics are afterwards - they’d probably have something to do with a glorious sunset and a beach in Mexico. The records jolts into action with an electronic beat on Always Disappear, but before you think TIH’s are going to be another electroclash failure it turns into a wonderful, heart wrenching pop song reminiscent of a lo-fi and beatified Beachwood Sparks, in other words – epic.

The only criticism I have is that if Pete Lush had decided to add a real drum kit and bass guitar to his collection of instruments, this album would be even more warming and personal than it already is, but then that’s nit-picking. When Too Happy slides into full swing the beats disappear and it becomes purely acoustic, which like Peter Lush says is a Sunday song. It brought a smile to my face and forced me to sing along, despite it being an emotional and melancholic song and the way he picks each note on the guitar reminds you of every heartbreak you’ve ever had – but in a reminiscent, happy way. Magic. One of the stand out tracks that has made me adore this album is the lo-fi rumblings on Now We Slide. It’s a piece of pop extravaganza which forces the sun to shine through the speakers and it wouldn’t be out of place on Blur’s 13, had that album been made without the pomposity that has withered the once great Britpoppers. The vocals are sung in that distorted ‘couldn’t be arsed to fix the microphone’ style that warms the cockles and is a soft tune that heals the head after a heavy night on the ale.

As the album meanders through the acoustic pop landscape that was ruined for many by the likes of Travis and Starsailor, the stool is now well and truly fixed. The lullaby sound of Nothing Much, written while everyone else was in bed so he had to keep the noise down, is a lethargic song, which needs turning up loud to hear it, which is the way it should be. It drifts around and confuses the mind into whether you’re actually conscious or not. But it’s The People Trap, which will have you reaching for this album every-time the man gets you down. It’s as close to emotional and joyous pop as one can get without donning a white robe and playing with 100 of your best mates. The swirling beats and synth sounds rise up in the same way that the ‘Spree used to gain so many fans. The strange lo-fi pop of The People Trap is virtually impossible to dislike and you’re certainly an unhinged miserable bugger if you do.

Pete Lush has created a fantastic debut in I Can Dancing and Walking and lets hope he keeps giving us these hits of pure melodic wonder because just like nature, including storm force winds, this truly is a beautiful piece of work.

Chris Parkin - Do Something Pretty

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DREAM MAGAZINE

Somewhere in England, Pete Lush stumbled upon an 8-track recorder. Soon the air around him was filled with songs and with the help of his partner in crime Miss Ping on harmonica, backing vocals and drawings (lovely dreamlike images of animals in surreal situations like illustrations from a strange childrens book); he begat the album length creation called "Pardon?" in 1999. Two years later he saw fit to issue another emanation to the world, in the form of this fine set of 10 plaintively lovely slices of pure pop magic. Light as a feather, but overflowing with a deliriously sad undertow; as if walking on a tightrope between elation and despair. Skinny theremin-like electronics shimmer, soar and hum like holy Joe Meek relics, the amp is turned down low, some thumping beats and a tight sense of direction, all delivered casually and low key is how "Always Disappear" opens things. While by the second track it's all acoustic delicacy and warmth, like an intimate conversation throughout "Please Don't Put Out The Light". Poignant without being forced, emotionally direct and simply brilliant. Often compared to Will Oldham, and Belle and Sebastian, though this is a more consistent album than either of those entities have produced in ages; there is some kinship there, as there is with Mark Hollis, Appendix Out, Smog, Sparklehorse, Nick Drake and John Cunningham.

George Parsons- Dream Magazine #3

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SPONIC

Sometimes there’s truth to the old axiom that good things come in small and unassuming packages. Case in point: Things in Herds’ gorgeous album of gently folky pop tunes, I Can Dancing and Walking. Essentially the brainchild of one man, the embarrassingly talented Pete Lush, I Can Dancing… came to me on a CDR in an anonymous plastic sleeve. And it’s a good thing, too, as it gave me no preconceived ideas about what to expect. The easiest points of references are Badly Drawn Boy and Nick Drake, as Lush’s heartfelt lyrics are sometimes supported by drum machines and classic pop structures. But like all excellent musicians, he brings to mind his obvious influences, and also builds on them to create his own musical world.

Opening with the alternate universe hit single “Always Disappear,” Lush lays the groundwork for an album of fully-formed, haunting pop songs. Followed up by the Drake-influenced “Please Don’t Put Out the Light” and the fragile ballad “New Ending,” with its backing “oooohhss” floating out of the ether and wrapping themselves around your head like a cushy sonic pillow, it is quite clear that Things in Herds is a force to be reckoned with. Even more impressive, is the fact that this is an 8-track recording and Lush has somehow fleshed out and built such a vibrant sound. If anything it is proof that even with a low budget, you can create a work of beauty and vision

Erik Pepple - Sponic Zine

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CRUD MUSIC MAGAZINE

On the surface it seems, there is nothing bad about Things In Herds, not in the slightest. Quite brilliant name, odd title, cute enchanting child-like artwork, and on first listen a simple uncomplicated air of innocence, goodness and quaint charm. But once you get in deeper the best thing is that, far from falling short, they do really become all these things and more. Things In Herds are essentially Brighton based Pete Lush, though as the name clearly suggests he wouldn't work exclusively alone. On backing vocals, harmonica and pictures at least is "the mysterious Miss Ping" and there's a bunch of people who help out live. But it's the sound of this man almost alone, one heart audibly beating, that makes it so beautiful.

As his voice quivers to strong peaks on the deliciously lonely 'Too Happy…' with a coarse hush close to Gruff Super Furry Animal, building on top of minimal, quiet and almost medieval folkisms, he sounds so open and vulnerable, a rose sat in a sea of thorns. But like on the similar 'Please Don't Put Out The Light' and 'Nothing Much' taking on the late night reflective side of Snow Patrol, you very much benefit from this, reaping satisfaction from his evident candour.

While he sounds like a man who'll never stop reflecting, gently, wherever he is, 'Always Disappear' bounds with a wibbly Magic Roundabout psychedelia, across to 'Now We Slide' which jaunts like Elastica with a purring Gorkys in tow. It's so clean and shimmering, sharing a DIY trait and love of heights with Mull Historical Society. It's characteristic and definite, sharing an atmosphere of community and place (be it imaginary or whatever) with Clearlake. It's just really pure like Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips, Mazzy Star or Sparklehorse. Closing track 'I Don't Need A Thing' waltzes you into the moonlight with a folk serenade. Just try not to fall in love to this.

James Berry - Crud Music Magazine

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NO RIPCORD

I'd been looking forward to hearing some more of Pete Lush's Things In Herds project ever since I sampled a song from his website. After some wait, his second album "I Can Dancing And Walking" finally popped through my letterbox and soon found itself nestling snugly in the stereo. Opening track "Always Disappear" immediately highlights why there is such a buzz about this music on the web. Pete's influences seem far removed from his Brighton base though with echoes of American artists such as Smog on the stripped down acoustic songs like Too Happy... and the excellent Nothing Much.

There seems to be a healthy split between the sad reflective acoustic numbers and the slightly more upbeat ones which often feature the sort of peculiar sounds that you'd associate with Grandaddy (see The People Trap for a fine example). This is definitely a good thing as both sides of Things In Herds are effective and refreshingly different to other current British guitar acts.

This is without a doubt the best album I've ever received from an independent source and I urge you to go and check this out for yourselves. 9/10

David Coleman - No Ripcord

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THE STEREO EFFECT

In the past year, Brighton has taken the baton as rock’n’roll city, overflowing with 80s Matchboxes, British Sea Powers, Electrelanes – list goes on. It’s good to know that the whole Mods and Rockers thing has passed by the wayside and allowed those stoney beaches to enrich the lives of some guitar-fearing talents to start a little uprising. Aside from those who rock, those who roll, those who can tap on a keyboard like it’s going outta style – there are the unsung heroes and underdogs. Things in Herds is Pete Lush and a few tuneful instruments. His album I Can Dancing and Walking is his second to date.

Opening track “Always Disappear” kicks off with drums (a rare find on the 10-track LP) and Pete’s voice – a borderline schizophrenia of wallowing post-britpop balladry and folk candour. The finger-picking loveliness and unfearing high notes of “Don’t Put Out the Light” draws some sparkling moments of Nick Drake but “Now We Slide” takes a sharp turn down a narrow road. While it’s one of the best songs on the album, there are undeniable traces of Blur’s self-titled album, which may not be the best road to take.

Most of the album sticks with a trusty acoustic and the power of the voice. Lush’s singing has moments of crystalline brilliance and moments of backing itself into a corner of vocal naivity – sometimes making it too easy to call him a singer/songwriter (which would, by all rights be fair, but it’s a pretty nasty stereotype). It’s not as morose, pure and raspy as Nick Drake’s, and the Damon Albarn sound in “Now We Slide” was (thankfully) aided by the values of production. The schizophrenia is a thread running through the album with some songs chirpy, to say the least, and others filled with the doldrums of sadness and hope. I Can Dancing and Walking isn’t gonna rock your socks off, but hell, it sure is pretty – and sometimes pretty is a beautiful thing.

Matic -The Stereo Effect

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COMES WITH A SMILE (online)

But for all the loveliness emanating from these acts and more, there is none more lovely than Things In Herds. The core of this gloriously gentle, acoustic lo-fi outfit are those known simply as Pete and Miss Ping, supported live, it seems, by whoever may be around at the time. Pete is blessed with a voice that drops neatly between Nick Drake and Lou Barlow; soft and emotive, and on this second TIH album (following '99's Pardon?, from which Like Me, bizarrely, featured in the soundtrack to Ron Judkins' The Hi-Line) he proves himself to be a new writer of some skill.

There are some breathtaking songs here: New Ending boasts harmonies that wrap around you like the Big Bro' orange blankets, and features a sublime extended outro; Sad Song 1 - precisely that - is a swoonsome effort where you can actually feel the pin drop; Come In, Nothing Much and exquisite, tearful closer I Don't Need A Thing just wrench at the gut, as insecurities and the joy and pain of love are laid bare amid fragile arrangements, decorated with sympathetic synth twitterings. If you need a handy reference point, the gentler moments of The Reindeer Section album are spot on, but TIH definitely got there first.

There are only two bliss-blips, in the shape of the Elastica-ted scrape of the mercifully brief Now We Slide, and the slightly more palatable The People Trap - pure Folk Implosion - which chugs along nicely enough before descending into unnecessary bleeping silliness. These aside, I Can Dancing And Walking is one of the albums of the year from, sigh, one of the probable post-club darlings of tomorrow.

Tom Sheriff - Comes With A Smile

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MIUSIK

There are a plethora of bands out there that the press labels “the New Hope for music”. Most end up falling by the wayside, fans deserting them once they realise that they were over-hyped and not worthy of playing covers in a dingy, rat infested public house.

There are a number of reasons I feel that Things In Herds could just well deserve this title. “I Can Dancing And Walking” is such a strange and multifaceted album that you sit there in bliss allowing the music to soak into your pores, soothing away the stresses of the day. But that’s not all the album offers. Showcasing some of the strangest electronica since, well the 1980’s “new wave” movement, “I Can Dancing And Walking” offers some wonderful upbeat tracks. The opener is a magnificent example of this. “Always Disappear” hits you with hip hop beats, a guitar doing a better impression of a cat than my real cat, a quirky catchy tune and understated vocals. Further upbeat electronic happy nonsense is to be found with track four, “Now We Slide”. Bleepy/bloopy in the best 1980’s styleeee and reminiscent of Bis at times it’s smile inducing. More electronic goodness is spoon-fed to you with “The People Trap” the most downbeat lyrically of the happy electronica here, it’s still able to induce a smile by the virtues of the music.

But as stated, it’s a multifaceted album from an enormously diverse band. The exact polar opposite of the electronica inhabits the rest of the album. Things In Herds do a 180° of immense proportions and deliver some dark, emotional and haunting acoustic led tracks. “Please Don’t Put Out The Light”, is the prime example of this. Coming in straight after “Always Disappear” it’s gently picked guitar offers an almost southern United States folk song. The vocals are, however, most definitely British Male, and soon dispel any lingering doubt. Quiet, simple and effective, it’s a powerful song and typical of the other acoustic tracks offered by the band. Each one holds it’s own little nugget that makes it special. “Too Happy…” has a rawness to the recording suggesting it was done in one take coupled with a mesmerising guitar line; “Nothing Much” also offers the rawness, but doesn’t have the same impact and is the low point of the album. “Come In” combines the euphoric “cat guitar” with a soft lilting sorrowful song. It tears at you. You can’t help smiling at the cat guitar, yet the vocals and melody impact sorrowfully upon you. It’s incredibly powerful.

Never have I heard an album that manages to sweep across such diverse musical camps. Things In Herds do so, and do so with such abandon it makes it seem so natural. Such a varied album has not been heard for a very long time, and many more such take such a broad musical view (And use the “cat guitar”).

Fraser Reid - Miusik

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BRAIN LOVE

Any regular readers of Brain Love will be familiar with Things In Herds. They are, after all, one of our favourite bands (and the first to be interviewed for the site). They're notable for a few reasons - firstly, of course, the music. Things In Herds have a unique style, mixing a DIY production ethic with delicate, interesting song writing and lyrics, synths, drum machines and a guitar that sounds like a cat's meiow. Secondly, for some mind bogglingly bizarre reason which seems to bend all senses of logic and universal reason, they're unsigned by any record label. It can only be a matter of time...

Despite this fact, their songs have been heard by over 130,000 people via the excellent MP3.com website, and they always seem to be popping up in the charts of various MP3 sites (such as Peoplesound and Adopt A Band, linked from the bottom of this page). This is the sharp end of the "MP3 revolution" that the press has been building up for so long - if only more bands had the nous and talent to get this far alone.

But my romantic musical socialism aside, there are some much more persuaive reasons for you to take the plunge and order this album online. And here they are.

The album's opening track, "Always Disappear" is the kind of song that you'd hear on MTV2 and then spend the next month glued to the screen agonizing over because you'd forgotten the name of the band (as I remember doing with the Eeels "Novocaine for the Soul"). It's an addictive indy tune the kind of which simply doesn't happen any more - 100% sharper than anything muddy pub warblers Travis have ever commited to tape. The same can be said for "Now We Slide", a jangly, choppy, Blur-esque pop song.

The other side of Things In Herds' musical blend is the acoustic ballads. "Too Happy" is gorgeous acoustic songwriting at it's absolute best, bringing to mind Nick Drake's smoky wistfulness. The same can be said for most of this album - "New Ending" and "I Don't Need a Thing" are, to put it simply, beautiful.

So point your browser to the links below and step into Things world for a while... you'll want to stay for longer than you'd think.

John Rogers - Brain Love

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INDIEVILLE

Although the odd grammar of the album's title may give off the impression of an experimental IDM release, I assure you that this is not so. Things in Herds has created a delicious collection of lo-fi pop gems. They are instantly catchy tracks that, despite their minimal arrangement, still manage to be fully powerful. In fact, the sparce instrumentation only makes them more personal to the listener. "Too Happy," for example, is an infectious tune with elements of both pop and folk in it. Beautiful vocals and two guitars make up the entirety of the instrumentation, but heck, you'd be hard-pressed to find anything so wondrously powerful on the independent scene these days. While listening to another track, "Come In," be sure to bring a tissue box along. Don't be deceived by the gentleness of the song - it packs a lot of emotion in it. The chorus will get you shivering in delight - and humming the day after. From the eerie detachment of "I Don't Need a Thing" to the frolicking pop perfection of "Always Disappear," this CD will stay in any indie pop fan's stereo for weeks. 88%

Indieville.com

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LA REALISTICA

This is a genuine find. Why Pete Things In Herds isn't a star baffles me. Over the last several years he has been sending lovely Nick Drake-ish pop into the world from his Brighton base. There is not a bad song on this record. The only downside is the fact that almost half the album has already appeared on the "Always Disappear" EP and a couple of compilations, some more new material would be nice. Such gripes aside this is wonderful and should be investigated forthwith.

Alex - La Realistica

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BALLROOM FAVOURITES

There's something so knowingly innocent in TiH's songs, something melancholy and sweet. This inspite of the fact that the singer sounds a bit like that guy from the coffee ads and Buffy…seriously…and that's no bad thing. TiH is fronted by one Pete Lush of Brighton (not Hollywood) though, so it's ok. He gets backup of the electronica kind from Miss Ping. So what you've got here is a beautiful mournful voice, some carefully crafted guitar noodley bits all wafting over a bizarre assortment of programmed beats and noises creating tunes that go everywhere and nowhere all at once; sometimes over to Nick Drakes place for tea and crumpets, sometimes down the local with their mates for a giggle. TiH seem to be pretty sure of the way, whatever their destination. Brilliant.

 

Koko Kabana - Ballroom favourites

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JUNKMEDIA

Once, while riding in a friend's car, I was made to endure the rhapsodies of Coldplay. It was not a pleasant experience. The inside of the car began to fill up with syrupy, melodramatic sludge. It started at my feet and continued up my leg, until my lower half was completely submerged in thick, yellow melodrama. I was yellow. Relentlessly, the sludge continued its conquest of the car. Aren't we all yellow? I looked over at my friend, who was driving along and singing and having what looked like a pretty normal time. Apparently, I was the only one being suffocated by the vile, yellow liquid. That was when I reached over and the sound of Parachutes coming to an abrupt halt was all that could be heard above my gasps for breath.

A few weeks later, I threw on Things in Herds' second album, I Can Dancing and Walking for my friend. After a few bars, the inquisition began: "How can you like this, if you hate Coldplay?" To me, the answer was simple. It came in two parts:

Things in Herds is not Coldplay

There's nothing yellow about Things in Herds

Granted, Things in Herds is the brainchild of Pete Lush, who happens to be from the UK and who happens to make music that some might consider a bit melodramatic (which, I concede, is also a passable way to describe Coldplay as well). But this is where we need to stop talking about Coldplay.

I Can Dancing and Walking alternates between sparse, acoustic, heart-string-tuggin' ballads and more upbeat tunes peppered with electronic noodling. But, while the electronic infusions are more or less tasteful, it's Lush's knack for spinning gentle melancholy that makes this album the pleasantly depressing work that it happens to be.

"Too Happy..." is delicate. It's as if the strings could break at any minute and the song could untangle and disintegrate right in front of you. The lyrics are delivered in earnest over an acoustic guitar, and they manage to capture a feeling of despondency that seems genuine. If lines like, "As a friend, maybe I failed / I can't recall just where it turned into lies and hate / the currency of things not working out / maybe it's just me / and we're all too happy", don't break your heart, it's either already broken or you aren't paying attention.

If anything, some of the electronic bits tend to be slightly intrusive and perhaps a bit superfluous, they really do little to add to the mood or vision of the album. However, this is a small gripe. All told, Lush is a promising songwriter and I Can Dancing and Walking is an honest, heartfelt album. And, best of all, there's nothing yellow about it.

Robert Young - Junkmedia.org

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COOL NOISE

Things In Herds can either be seen as slightly old-fashioned or right up to date. There's a late 70s/early 80s feel with the drum machine (a non-abrasive Eyeless In Gaza maybe) but this seems to fit in perfectly with a British equivalent to Americana roots boom. Songs such as Always Disappear and Too Happy are just perfect Indie-Pop. Later on the album seems to become quieter but just as rewarding - after 5 days I'm finding tracks such as New Ending growing on me. It's a CD that I'm going to keep coming back too - gentle, refreshing, and intelligent.

David Home - Cool Noise

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ZEITGEIST

The second album from Things In Herds kicks off with ‘Always Disappear’ and even before Pete Lush’s vocals kick in I’m reminded of Folk Implosion’s muddled take on folk-pop. Don’t get me wrong; this is a huge compliment and more importantly Things In Herds aren’t derivative of Barlow’s aforementioned Folk Implosion it’s just that Peter Lush utilizes similar drum machines, samplers etc. to enlarge upon his simple guitar and vocal templates. The end product is quite simply dazzling. Although it’s glaringly obvious from the outset that Lush is in possession of a finely honed pop sensibility, most of the tracks on “I Can Dancing and Walking” are slower, sparsely arranged, thoughtful songs. Tracks such as ‘Please Don’t Put Out The Light’, ‘Too Happy’, ‘Come In’ and ‘Nothing Much’ are all beautifully simple recordings, effects are limited but when they sweep in they make these songs soar. ‘Now We Slide’ and ‘The People Trap’ are looser and reminiscent of Centro-Matic’s maverick indie-pop. All in all “I Can Dancing and Walking” is one of those rare breeds: “a find”.

Paul McDermott - Zeitgeist

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KOMAKINO

From UK Things In Herds, pleasant indeed swinging between Pavement and Belle and Sebastian as regards sonorities and calmness, acoustic lone songs, together with exquisitely pop compositions (about 'pop', read Senpai review), some synth with miaow sounds (theremin on keyb?), original and fresh guitar arpeggio, drum machine beats, - and overall the inevitably touching Pete's voice (listen to Please Don't Put Out The Light). Always Disappear is a sad-song able to stay long time inside Yr head;- Now We Slide, one more indie sonic gem, on the same line of The People Trap, owner of a refrain making a hole in Yr brain to get its place (wonderful to whistle!). If reading former komakino issue You like Jindra's inner music (mp3.com/jindra), then You are on the right road to give a chance to Things In Herds, because i think They have something in common, even if here there's not a Blues background: the lyrical effect of a skilled singer and his guitar. Strange cover picture: there drawn some small pigs going to a chinese takeaway, then in a school, and also at the Great Wall of China (!!!). I say splendid.

Paolo Micelli - Komakino

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TNT/ WISEACRE

This self-released album arrived from Brighton almost unheralded, with only a small handwritten note from the singer as explanation. Hardly promising, but persistence reaps rewards, for I Can Dancing And Walking (available from www.thingsinherds.co.uk) is a delight. Recorded for about 20p, it's a largely acoustic, enjoyably shambolic affair, made worthwhile by some genuinely affecting songs: kind of what Kings Of Convenience might sound like after a morning spent in the housing benefit queue with Nick Drake. Worth checking out.

Will Fulford-Jones - Wiseacre

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ERASING CLOUDS

At times on I Can Dancing and Walking, Things in Herds sounds like a one-man band version of The Bends-era Radiohead if they listened to more Nick Drake. But the music's also reminiscent in places of Snailhouse and Unbelievable Truth, and the publicity materials mentions Smog, Will Oldham and Sparklehorse, all of whom seem pertinent as well. What all of those touchpoints add up to is nothing conclusive--no easy comparisons are fair--yet they do help indicate what Things in Herds, aka Pete Lush, is: a talented, idiosyncratic writer of unique, melodic pop-rock songs. The songs are in the stripped-down style of introspective singer-songwriters (with guitar and vocals as the focus), but with the mood of more atmospheric bands, with spacey sounds and touches lurking around throughout. Take the second track, "Please Don't Put Out the Light," for example: it uses solitary acoustic guitar and Lush's pretty voice throughout, but then near the end builds a spooky, haunting mood through various sound effects and background embellishments. The album, Things in Herds' second, is filled with beautiful songs that hit emotional peaks which project strong feelings right into listeners' essences. "Come In" is one of my favorites, a gently sweeping anthem that's also a melancholy love song. Whether the subject is unrequited love, tensions between people or the search for something (for resolution, compromise, comfort, understanding), these are very human songs that really strike the right emotional chord.

Dave Heaton - Erasing Clouds

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TIDAL WAVE MAGAZINE

I expected the worst the moment I held Things in Herd's second full-length release "I Can Dancing and Walking" in my hands. First, the name of the band didn't do much for me. The name of the album did even less-if you're going to be oblique and re-invent the rules of English grammar, you'd best be E.E. Cummings. Finally, opening the case revealed a silver CD-R with the words www.thingsinherds.co.uk written on the surface in Sharpie. "Yikes," I thought. "It's amateur hour." I couldn't have been more wrong.

Things in Herds fairly swiftly won me over. Throughout the 10 song cd, Things in Herds blend singer-songwriter values with just the right synthesized flair to create an inviting, quiet, personal pop record. It sounds like something you might hear on a coffee shop open mike night, if only coffee shop troubadours were worth a shit, and used samplers.

Singer/Songwriter Pete Lush's voice is VERY reminiscent of mid-period Depeche Mode Martin Gore, a lilting, pure choir boy tenor with a slightly maudlin pall. The songs hang on simple acoustic guitar arrangements and wonderful melodies, layered sparsely with just the right synthetic accompaniments-plaintive feline "meows" in "Come In;" "Parklife" era Blur beats-and-bleeps in "Now We Slide," one of the albums most outgoing, bobby numbers. The album is at it's best when the songs are in there most straight-forward presentation, especially the heartbreaking acoustic ballad "Too Happy." . The ironically named "Too Happy," is fairly indicative of the Things in Herds sound: sincere, sparse, warm and quiet. Most of the songs here are more mid-tempo, vernal affairs-heartfelt and wide, with a coolness in the negative space of the songs that add to their charm. What separates Things In Herds from the vast majority of lo-fi indie pop is that the songs are well-crafted: built on strong melodies and ripe with delicate hooks. Fans of the new Australian pop movement (think Sodastream, Darren Hanlon) and the "electrorganic" pop of Stars, Memphis and XO era Elliot Smith will appreciate this album.

If you can find this humble little gem, pick it up. With time and (just a bit more) polish, Things in Herds could evolve from surprisingly good to quite exceptional.

Josh Baze - Tidal Wave