Lush was a moderately well-known indie band during the 1990s; formed by two childhood friends from London (Emma Anderson and Miki Berenyi), who had played in a number of riot-grrl/punk bands together, they combined the energy of punk with classic pop sensibilities and a good dose of aesthetic abstraction; as such, it wasn't surprising when Ivo Watts-Russell signed them to his 4AD label after seeing them play live. They released three albums, and a number of EPs, and toured extensively (including in one of the early Lollapalooza tours), breaking up in 1996 after the suicide of their drummer, Chris Acland.

Split was Lush's second album, released in 1994, and is comprised of 12 tracks, with the songwriting split between the two vocalists; Anderson wrote just over half of the songs, tending between pop sensibilities and abstract, dreamlike impressionism, with the flame-haired Berenyi writing some of the more confrontational numbers.

In a word, the sound of this album could be accurately described as lush; the band's music is layered and textured, with often ethereal female vocals floating and harmonising over layers of processed guitars driving basslines, reverbed drums and subtle strings. The effect is often a chiaroscuro of sorts, with the harmonious purity of the vocals contrasting with the noisy textures of the underlying music, and to great effect. The totality of the sound is one you could probably only find on a 4AD release, with elements of brooding post-punk, ethereal abstraction and catchy pop sensibilities, all melding seamlessly.

More than being a collection of songs, Split is a most pleasing totality in itself. The CD's packaging is classic 4AD, with long-time 4AD-affiliated design firm v23's trademark crisp-yet-crunchy line-art, bold poster colours and clever typography, and in this case, the recurring motif of photographs of four objects of a kind (lemons, wheels, and such); as such, it gives the impression that this is going to be somewhat more arty and introspective than the average rock record, and complements the music on the CD quite well.

The opening track, "Light From A Dead Star" (incidentally, I wonder whether that's where the Australian alternative band Deadstar got their name), starts with a music box, slightly reminiscent of New Order's "Elegia", with soprano vocals coming in, just before the drums, bass and guitars kick in. It does a good job of opening the record, and leads nicely into the next track, the more uptempo "Kiss Chase".

Track 4, "Hypocrite" rocks out with confrontational personal lyrics over spiky chords; alternating between outward condemnation and self-accusation, it reads like a diary entry, albeit with a note of reflexive self-awareness ("I know you think it's wrong, and maybe you're right but this is my song").

Track 8, "Undertow" is an atmospheric piece of spiky guitars and droning basslines; towards the end, the instruments fall away and all that's left is the vocals, floating in an exquisite two-layer harmony. The effect is a
little like My Bloody Valentine, only more coherent and moody.

The last track, "When I Die", is a pop ballad, with gently strummed chords over a subtle string arrangement (by Martin McCarrick, a long-time 4AD regular, who also did the strings in This Mortal Coil's _Another Day_ a decade or so earlier), and is a good closing track, ending on an uplifting note of cheerful optimism. The song was written by Emma after her father passed away, and is nowhere near as gloomy as the title sounds ("'cause when I die, I'll see you again").

The standout piece, in my opinion, would have to be "Desire Lines"; seven and a half languid minutes of gorgeously understated vocals over reverbed drums, underscored by a droning post-punk bassline, and punctuated by exquisite arrangements of plaintive minor-key electric guitar riffs and strings (the latter also arranged by McCarrick). The lyrics are impressionistic and abstract, and every bit as ambiguous as the name, vignettes of inner life presented in surreal impressions, things that can only be illustrated in nebulous word-feeling-pictures ("we hold parties, in our sleep / we fill ourselves up, in our sleep / and I'll heal you when you're ill / but it's hard keeping still / in our sleep"; it doesn't mean anything in the waking world, but that's not what counts). The total effect is not unlike something The Cure might have done around the time of Disintegration, only not quite as angsty, and with more of an ethereal, dreamy, almost shoegazer feel.

Split is perhaps Lush's best album (though the other two are by no means to be sneezed at), a work of great intricacy and considerable beauty; a gorgeous album whose textures you can immerse yourself in.