Album Review

Ash – Polaris

• 12th Jun 2007

Festival favourites and pop-rock kings are all set to release their sixth studio album, “Twilight of the Innocents”. This is the second single to be lifted from said album, and please, please, please let it not be filled with ever-so-slightly wet and meaningless drivel like this.

Let’s face it, Ash never pushed any musical boundaries, but they were always great songwriters, just don’t present this song if you’re ever trying to prove this point to a friend. Tim Wheeler’s voice just isn’t suited for pseudo-ballads, because in actual fact he’s not a fantastic singer! The piano melody isn’t horrible, but it isn’t that great either, it’s just inoffensive.

Ash are one of those festival bands, because they have a garrison of well-known pop-rock songs ready to bring out and get the crowd moving, no-one will remember Ash for their great slow ballad-type songs. Take note at what happened Feeder when they decided great pop-rock songs with huge, juicy choruses were above them and they decided to headline Download Festival all at the same time…they flopped terribly, and they came running back to those huge choruses soon enough, mind.

Ash aren’t designed for heartbreaking moments, they’re designed for sweaty festival crowds. It seemed with ‘You Can’t Have It All’ they had accepted this, and it was a nice, tidy song. So avoid this song at all costs if you wish your hazy, but great memories of Ash to remain.