Hush Records is owned by Portland's Chad Crouch -- and like Chad's music, everything that comes from his label seems far more musically exciting than standard singer-songwriter fare. While Kind of Like Spitting was (and will remain) one of the label's biggest draws, the reason Hush makes wondrous compilations is because everyone on their roster boasts great (if sometimes overly similar) talent.

Chad, who guests on many of the tracks, seems to be Portland's "mellow" equivalent of Robert Schneider. He's probably more a wizard with sound than he is with lyrics, making him almost bizarre among his peers. On Flag and other Hush compilations (like the great Less), all of the songs tend to meld into one another, as if each act were instructed to begin their songs with the last note of the prior act. Of course this makes including personal favorites (like Kaitlyn Ni Donovan's "2000" and Amy Annelle's "Ode to the Exhausted") on mix tapes particularly difficult, but such are our hardships!

Including two songs each from nine acts on the label's roster, Flag suggests that Portland ranks far above many well-established cities (like David Wilcox's Asheville) in this musical genre by its dedication to creating a mood through the music alone, and its insistence upon good playing as well as intelligent lyrics. While Jeff London and Corrinna Repp may not have astounding vocal range, they know their limitations well enough to exploit what they do best: craft personal lyrics that shy from politics (thank god) and play well enough to make any guitar cry.