Streetlight Records

Reviews:

Let other bands tire of the racket, speed and pounding overload after years of touring-- Ash just keep piling it on in bolts of gnarly bass, slashing drums, and two fierce guitars as though aging in reverse. Throughout, Tim Wheeler is all boyish urgency and heat, as though he's still the Northern Irish teenager of 1996^1s 1977 out on the make, looking for girls from Mars. No matter how grungy and harsh the sound, or first-class punk rock the attack, his supreme melodic thrust and youthful vigor put a strawberry frosting on the top. And the inspired backing vocals (and nasty licks) by walloping Charlotte Hatherley add the 60s pop batter that oozes out of the record despite its more torrential (sometimes too severe) attack. Hatherley remains the tinder to the band's bigger fire. Ash should stop relegating her songs to b-sides-the chirpy yet strong singing and herky-jerky songwriting approach of her actually superior solo LP Grey Will Fade would provide a crucial counterpoint to Wheeler's increasingly limited range. And they should ditch producer Nick Raskulinecz, who previously worked with Foo Fighters and System Of A Down. This far in, Ash needs someone to open up their attack to new sounds and textures, not streamline it further.