ash

1977

‘Have you ever just sat down and listened to an album, or even rnjust a few songs, and found yourself singing the tunes regardless of the fact that you have never heard them before.  It’s pure pop music syndrome.  Once you are walking down the street and catch yourself singing or humming a song that you heard for the first time on your car ride up to school, you know you have been in the clutches of this tunes catchy rifts.  It has rnhappened to everyone at one point in time or another, and has been accepted in the entertainment industry as, more or less, a part of the American way.  Think about it.  How many times can you remember yourself singing lines like, “Choke me in the shallow waters, before I get to deep,”  or “Should I stay or should I go now?  If I go there will be trouble.  If I stay it will be double.”  Well, do not exclude Ash from this list.  Chances are, you have long been asking people in your presence “Do you remember rnthe time I knew a girl from Mars?”  We all love you, the Girl from rnMars.

Ash has recently released it’s sophomore debut on Reprise rnRecords entitled 1977.  This title was chosen because it was the year that Star Wars was released.  There are many reference to this movie and others of the sort.  “Kung Fu”, which appeared along side “Jack Names the Planets” on the Angus soundtrack, is a collaboration of references to Kung Fu movies, and there stars.  Well, if you are interested, you can figure out references like “Darkside Lightside.”

This album, which was released earlier on last year, gains much rncredibility considering that it was recorded while the band was taking their exams right before their highschool graduation.  It is impressing to hear the outcome of the album.  1977 was produced by Owen Morris, of Oasis fame, and yet the band did not even remotely rip off the Beatles.  Coincidentally,  “Lost In You”  did succeed at ripping off Frank Sinatra to a certain extent.  Oh well, nobody is perfect.  Overall, this release was very consistent with the band’s debut, Trailer.  Through both recordings, that pop-punk mixture is very evident. All the rifts are catchy as hell.  The lyrics are somewhat redundant at rntimes yet fresh and original the rest.  There are many long winded guitar solos that over prove the point that rnTim Wheeler, the bands frontman, does know how to play the guitar.   The style has not changed, which is a very good sign nowadays.

Everyone seems to be changing their formulas for something rnbetter and new.  This is the reason that Ash shines well above the faces of a slew of other Euro-rock bands.  For God’s sake, even U2 is dressing up like the Village People anymore.  Ash rnbrings us back down to reality.  They make us realize why we all fell in love with bands like Nirvana to begin with.  It is the simplicity and honesty of the music that attracts us.  It is not anything new.  1977  shows us the roots behind most rnpost-modern rock.  The album tells us that all we need is a guitar, bass, drums, and two or three pedals to create the rnsongs everyone loves to hear.  Thank you Ash.  1997 needs some new faces to point us in a positive direction.  As more and more of us grasp onto techno, and its offsprings, bands like you are becoming extinct.  It is your duty to repopulate true rock bands.  May the force be with you.