Album Reviews |
Ash
I must be honest and admit that, as a fan, my interest in Ash began and ended with the wonderful 'Girl From Mars' single which was released something like a decade and a half ago. My, doesn't time fly? 'Twilight Of The Innocents' is promised as the final ever Ash album proper. From now on, they'll release songs as singles and downloads and release compilations of the more popular tracks. They aren't the first act to consider such an idea and almost certainly won't be the last in these uncertain times for the future of the album as an artform. My take on all of this is that if we didn't have as much mediocrity such as bands like Ash who, from what i've heard, have never been very good at sequencing and releasing decent albums anyway, then 'the album' wouldn't be under threat in the first place. Bands have a simple lack of imagination these days. My elder brother has most of the Ash catalogue, by the way, so I am familiar with their overall canon. The cynical indeed may just see this proposed move by Ash as a cunning way of gaining publicity, a marketing ploy in the face of declining album sales, not just overall but more pertinently, for Ash themselves. What would I like from Ash in an ideal world? Well, how about more than just bass, drums and guitars for one or two tracks? And no, I don't want a keyboard playing the same parts as either the bass or guitar. How about some ambitious arrangements? Or, failing that, cram fourteen songs into half an hour and show us some true aggression? Ash make lots of noise yet have no aggression. They have a classic indie/alternative guitar sound that offers nothing that ( literally ) a thousand bands haven't already offered during the past twenty years.
Ash
Albums
Twilight Of The Innocents 4 ( 2007 )
I Started A Fire / You Can’t Have It All / Blacklisted / Polaris / Palace Of Excess / End Of The World / Ritual / Shadows / Princess Six / Dark And Stormy / Shattered Glass / Twilight Of The Innocents
Highlights? To be honest, all of these songs are utterly forgettable. Try imagine them being played on acoustic guitar? It's hard isn't it, because there's nothing here. The lyrics are competent yet uninspired, the muscianship is professional yet clearly not outstanding enough to be an asset for this type of act. The songs by pass completely inoffensively and show that Ash know how to create decent songs. The structures and everything else are in place. It just doesn't contain any genuine creativity beyond the mere professional. I could throw a brick out the window and hit a local band with the potential to create an album just as mediocre as this one if given access to the decent studios, etc. I could, but what would the point be? Every town as at least two or three bands like Ash that play at local talent contests. You enjoy the lives shows but wouldn't consider moving the band in with you to share your CD collection. Well, that's what 'Twilight Of The Innocents' reminds me of.
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this page last updated 15/07/07
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