Artist: Cruush

Venue: The Grace

Town: London

Date: 26.2.26

The Grace music venue in Highbury sits right next door to The Garage so you get plenty of grass roots music to digest around there, I was going to The Grace to see Cruush but there is always a little guy in your head saying is there something better on at another venue nearby? This goes to show there is so much choice nowadays, the quest to get it right and get your fans to come see you is maybe tougher than ever? Is there too much choice? Can all these bands and artists pull a good crowd continuously? I think it is difficult to answer all these questions but we are blessed with some amazing music available to Joe Bloggs in this fair country…

So on to Cruush who are a Manchester-based four-piece alternative rock/shoegaze/Dreampop band formed around 2017-2018 at the BIMM institute. Known for a "dirty collage" of sound that blends hazy, shoegaze with gritty, melodic rock, the band is fronted by vocalist/guitarist Amber Warren and guitarist Arthur Boyd with back up from drummer Fotis Kalantzis, and bassist Bruno Evans. They have so far gained recognition for their EPs and singles.

Possibly the most popular song in Cruush’s repertoire is “As she grows” a lovely mix of a song which weaves between Lush (The band) and The Cocteau Twins capturing all the essence of Shoegaze Music in it’s prime late 80’s to early 90’s heyday. There are many bands currently peddling this style and Cruush pull it off well with the use of the dual guitar attack exemplified on their latest release “Great Dane” which has more punch in a traditional indie-rock framework. Amber Warren's singing also has more gusto on this track so is this the direction they are heading? 

Arthur Boyd puts the “polish” over the top of the rhythm guitar of Warren, adding the colour to lift these songs as with the other song released recently “Rupert Giles” which has a Wolf Alice vocal delivery. Played live, these tunes burst the cork from the bottle. As in previous times Cruush have evolved and fine tuned their sound so with these two latest songs they have upped the ante.

Watching the band play last Thursday I was enthralled with the music and show. I would only request that the songs would have more effect without long periods of guitar tuning between numbers… it can leave periods of impotence drowning in silence and loss of momentum. It may have been just that show and I hope to catch them again as I love the sound they can produce!

Investigate Cruush yourself via LINKTREE

Review and all photographs by Dan Reddick