The Music Note

Following the release of latest album Evermotion , Guster returned to London earlier this month for a one-off, intimate gig at Bush Hall. Although the album arrived in the UK only a few days prior to the gig, initial online previews had already indicated a strong transition from 2010's Easy Wonderful , with this latest effort driven towards a more spacious and atmospheric sound - a clear departure from its predecessor. This long-awaited performance marked the band's first London show in nearly a decade, a fact that was no doubt reflected by the anticipation of the thriving crowd, in both the lead-up and all throughout the 90-minute set. The band opened the show with a haunting rendition of 'Ruby Falls', in which the heightened dynamics of the extended outro was enough to rival the studio version that appears on 2006's Ganging Up On The Sun . Acoustic fan favourite 'Do You Love Me' followed, though it was the defining synths and powerful vocals of 'E...

Bus Stop were a North Carolina-based, pop/rock band, formed in 1990 by vocalist Evan Olson and lead guitarist Britt "Snuzz" Uzzell. Completing the line-up were bassist Chuck Folds and drummer Eddie Walker, though the band is also notable for the involvement of Chuck's brother Ben, who contributed piano to a number of tracks over the course of their four LPs. I first came across Bus Stop after hearing a brief snippet of their music on a TV show. The clip was literally a ten-second instrumental intro section, but it was punchy and energetic, and I was immediately hooked. The track in question - 'What You Do' - and the album from which it appears - 2000's Japanese compilation release, Ball & Chain - offered me a solid introduction to the band's music. The most endearing aspect of Ball & Chain , is how stylistically diverse it is. There is no one sound that dominates, with a tracklist spontaneously spanning multiple genres throughout its 23 songs. ...