Album Review

Ash – A to Z Volume One

• 29th Apr 2010

Sure enough, releasing a poorly received album after almost two decades of acclaimed music must be a hard blow for any band. For Ash, this is especially true after the release of ‘Twilight of the Innocents’ which was poorly received. That hasn’t stopped the band however who have now decided to get rid of the traditional way of album releasing and have decided to opt for releasing singles every fortnight. The first string of those fortnightly albums is here in its first volume.

The album is definitely impressive throughout. ‘True Love 1980’ is pure classic Ash. With it’s down to earth like synth patterns and the pop like chord progressions, the band are getting back down to their roots with this track. Tracks such as ‘Neon’ highlight the darker edge the band has. The sinister piano and guitar have a chilling tone to them. The song then explodes into a much more vibrant and up beat chorus. Perhaps ‘Space Shot’ is one of the more interesting tracks on the record. With the thick, modulated synths, there is a quirky edge to it. ‘Ichiban’ shows a dangerous edge to the bend from the start with its riveting and violent intro that is sure to wake some people up. Throughout the rest of the track however, the style is different changing to more raw, basic punk.

The first volume of the bands A to Z releases is definitely an impressive one. Showcasing many of the bands talents, there’s something for many of the bands fans. The release highlights many of the bands strengths throughout their career. The band have experimented on this album but they haven’t strayed too far from the formula that have made them such a good band.

8/10