Sound Education

Indeed. Like Vines is complicated folk-friendly musicianship with a glossy pop finish. By polishing away the first album's rough edges, the Hush Sound has become more radio-friendly. Morris credits the shift to the time he and his bandmates spent with O'Keefe and Stump in the studio.

Fittingly, that accelerated pace mirrors the Hush Sound's own trajectory; the act's rapid ascent is stupefying to everyone but Morris, it seems.

"Well, if you don't think that when you're starting a band, that you're going to do this, you shouldn't start a band," he says. "You're starting a hobby, not a career."

On the other hand, Salpeter is absolutely shocked by how far they've come so quickly. She had to complete her senior year while on tour to make it all happen: "I remember we got the first e-mail from Pete, and I was a junior in high school, studying for finals and getting ready to take my ACT test."

A year later, the cramming continues.

Hush Sound performs Wednesday, November 22, at Meridian, 1503 Chartres. Call 713-225-1717 for more information. Murder by Death, This Providence and This Is Me Smiling also perform.