Originally released in 2000, Lushlife is the 3rd studio album from Bowery Electric. The NYC group, formed by Lawrence Chandler and Martha Schwendener in 1993, melds shoegaze & post-rock aesthetics into a trip-hop framework, and onLushlife, it crafts smokey & decidedly blue compositions that could easily draw comparisons to Portishead's material. Crisp drum beats, blurry samples, and late-night gloom loom throughout, with Schwendener's somber, breathy vocals perfecting the overall vibe. Check out "Floating World," Lushlife," "Shook Ones," and "Freedom Fighter."

• music label: Beggars Banquet 2000 / 2019

reviewed by pocari papi 02/19