Hurst

Does the name Trevor Hurst ring a bell? For those of you, who thought that Hurst, the former Econoline Crush singer’s career was in the hearse on the way to the cemetery, think again. Hurst rose to fame in the Canadian new rock scene as the lead singer of the electronic/guitar rock band Econoline Crush towards the end of the 1990s before the band quietly disintegrated sometime around 2002. Soon after the breakup of Econoline Crush, there were reports circulating that Hurst had joined forces with Ross Childress, guitar player for popular ‘90s rock band Collective Soul and the two were working on a new project together. Months and years went by with no news on the project… until now and the result is the new band Hurst and their debut EP titled Wanderlust. After giving the seven song collection a few listens, it became quite evident that Trevor Hurst is back and similarly to before, he is once again creating some fantastic music.

One asset that Trevor Hurst has always possessed even in his days with Econoline Crush is that his voice is extremely radio-friendly and as a result with the aid of a good group of musicians, it’s difficult for him not to create some good tunes. Most of the EP features feel good rock songs that are geared towards accentuating Hurst’s voice. Track one “Tin Cup” is probably the hardest song on the disc and the one that sounds most like Econoline Crush. The song moves quickly, clocking in at just under three minutes and it features a very catchy chorus and some very cool verses. It is not until track two, the single from the disc called “Not Broken” that the listener really gets a taste of Trevor Hurst’s new, more organic musical approach. The song features some great vocals from Hurst, which is never more evident than on the hook just before the last two repeats of the chorus. Next comes the mid tempo “Just No Go,” the closest Hurst comes to a ballad on the disc. The song isn’t bad, but compared to the other songs on the disc, it is probably the weakest of the seven tracks. We get more of Hurst’s new stripped down approach on the next song “Stumble” which features an awesome chorus. My only complaint with the song is that it’s a bit short, clocking it at only two and a half minutes.

By track five “Going Under,” it becomes evident that Hurst seems to have a knack for writing some wicked choruses. Like the other songs, “Going Under” highlights Hurst’s voice very well and it also features a cool guitar riff from guitarist Derrick Gottfried (or from Childress in the studio). “Surrender” is another mid tempo, ballady number, but is more focused and cohesive sounding than the earlier track “Just No Go.” The EP closes out with “Clear Blue,” a song that features a terrific melody from Hurst. The song features more feel good lyrics, but Hurst sings them in such a way that they don’t sound sappy or clichéd.

Trevor Hurst is back. Wanderlust is a solid EP with at least four or five solid songs that really demonstrate well the new organic sound that Hurst is going for. Ross Childress seems to have really helped Hurst in rediscovering his musical talent with his new band (not that Econoline Crush ever lost their talent). If Hurst’s debut EP is this good, one can only expect that a full length album from the band will be even better. Hopefully Trevor and his new bandmates will continue to produce some great music and become one of the top bands in the Canadian new rock scene.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. Tin Cup
02. Not Broken
03. Just No Good
04. Stumble
05. Going Under
06. Surrender
07. Clear Blue

Run Time: 22:43