On their most recent album The Hush Sound continues with their unique style of ragtime-piano pop. The vocals of Greta Salpeter have matured noticeably to match her increased range. On two early releases, "Medicine Man" and "Honey", she explores new vocal styles with very pleasant results. As on previous works, she and Bob Morris create a harmony throughout all the tracks on the album while maintaining variety and interest for the listener.

It’s said there are two sides to every story. Goodbye Blues invites you to hear both in a story old as time. The album is full of the rocks and pitfalls of relationships: love gone awry, rejected, unrequited and mocked. Occasionally, the sentiments are slightly stereotypical. But then, they wouldn’t be so universal if they weren’t just a bit true. When Salpeter takes the lead vocals we hear over and over a woman who, despite her better judgment, still loves the bad boy she’s fallen for. Morris by turn plays his role with a cavalier glee and frightening accuracy. Backing vocals (Faller and Wilson) provide a Greek chorus watching the tragedy unfold and helpless to intervene.

The opening track "Introduction" rings out like a warning followed by "Honey". Salpeter knows the man she’s after is bad news and will hurt her but she wants him anyway. Honey is sweet after all. Momentarily coming to her senses, she begs for any cure in "Medicine Man". She tries other men to forget him ("The Boys Are Too Refined"), taunts and defies him telling him she doesn’t buy his façade and doesn’t care if it’s real anyway.

When Morris gets the opportunity to give his side, it can seem cruel but he’s really trying to do the best thing for the girl. He warns her time and again that he will hurt her – not due to malice, but because he simply can’t help what he is. It’s this brutal honesty that makes "As You Cry" both hard hearted and touching. "Not Your Concern" takes the cruelty up a notch or two but sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. Finally, he does admit that she touched his heart but sadly it won’t change a thing ("Hospital Bed Crawl").

By the closing track "Break the Sky", you sense Salpeter is back to where she started and both stronger and more fragile for the journey.

Instead of being dragged down and exhausted by all this emotional turmoil, the music keeps the tone upbeat and fun. It’s hard to be blue even while your heart is breaking with Salpeter’s rollicking piano movements and the upbeat tempos and backbeats. It’s a delicious paradox – if only a real bad news relationship were this entertaining.

reviewed by Therese