smush Turns “41” Into A Soaring, Weightless Triumph, A Confident And Well-Earned Creative Win
- STAFF
- 5 hours ago
- 3 min read
By: Staff
“41” floats with clarity, raw texture, and emotional lift, unfolding like a private performance you’re lucky to hear.
We caught up with smush, and their electrifying cover version of Retail Therapy's "41," and it feels like a definitive shining star in their catalog, one that lands with confidence and care while still feeling exciting and alive. There’s a strong sense that this release will genuinely impress the original band, not by trying to outdo them, but by understanding what made the song special in the first place and expanding on it naturally. This shines like an artist who feels creatively locked in, delivering something that feels both respectful and bold at the same time. “This moment captures smush at their most focused and expressive, turning a familiar song into a personal statement.”
With “41,” from the first seconds, it’s clear smush isn’t interested in simply recreating what already exists. The song opens with softly, gently strummed guitars that nod to the original styling, but what also becomes apparent is how quickly smush turns up the intensity, building a more energized and powerful instrumental foundation that we genuinely loved. It’s a terrific way for smush to signal unpredictability and creativity, and that sense of bold choice is immediately exciting. The soft yet soaring vocal overlay makes the words feel like they’re flying overhead, and there’s a clarity here that lands beautifully and feels incredibly intentional. “This version of ‘41’ doesn’t just echo the original, it elevates it into a new emotional space.”
Following that momentum is a subdued but sustained vocal performance, where long-held notes and stretched syllables add a unique tension that keeps pulling you forward. What we noticed right away was how smush brings a more rhythmic flow and a feeling of weightless euphoria to the texture of the song, giving it a sense of motion that never settles. The clean break into an emphatic vocal and guitar duo delivery is a true standout moment, and the layered harmony stylings are immediately infectious without ever feeling overdone. “Every vocal choice here feels purposeful, like each breath was placed exactly where it needed to be for maximum impact.”
What also deserves recognition is the instrumental attention throughout, especially the more prominent and well-displayed drum fills that tie each chapter of the song together so tightly. After all of this, the outro arrives with gritty guitars and thundering bass that keep the track soaring to the very last second, leaving you suspended on that final note and instinctively wanting to hit replay. It’s hard not to feel that smush delivered equal justice to this song, honoring its core while giving it new altitude. “The ending doesn’t fade out, it lifts off.”
Encountering smush’s recreation of “41” by Retail Drugs feels less like pressing play and more like stepping into a private room they curated themselves. The song feels wildly original, yet every twist and turn is executed with deliberate intention, showing how deeply smush understands the source material. They aren’t just making music here, they’re shaping a moment and inviting you to witness their ability to capture the heart of the original while layering in their own special sauce. “This is what it sounds like when an artist truly makes a song their own.”
The production further reinforces that intimacy, bringing what feels like a real, genuine performance to the forefront. It almost feels as if it was done in one take, with the engineers focused on maintaining and preserving the texture rather than polishing away its humanity. What really matters is that the raw, original feel is fully intact, which is exactly how this song wants to be presented, and smush executes that balance beautifully. “The production doesn’t distract; it shows the song's inner workings are its magic.”
The talent on display here positions smush for a serious climb, and this feels like the perfect moment to get familiar with everything they’re creating. There’s confidence, restraint, and ambition all moving in sync, and it makes this release feel like a defining step rather than a side note. “smush isn’t just arriving, they’re settling in.”
