‘Still reminiscing about the old disgraces, the drunken chases on the staircases, the usual places are gone’.
So, I’m a bit late here, I was gigging and then got a stinking cold which knocked the wind out of my sails, but I really wasn’t going to miss this one.
Ash, our Irish brethren are back and are hightailing it through the night, picking up all our meanderings, murmurings, mishaps and memories and curating the fabulous ‘Race The Night’ their eighth album.
With gloriously harmonious fretwork that lures and endures, we begin with the title track, and it is sumptuous, exactly what I was expecting, singer Tim Wheeler, bassist Mark Hamilton and drummer Rick McMurray forge a triumphant trio of musicians, bringing the essence of rebellion, the aromas of radio friendly rock and crispy fried edges of punk to underpin their place in the world of music.
The yearning, the simmering passions in ‘Oslo’ remind me of Dashboard Confessional, typical of their style of songwriting and having seen DC live recently I am heartened that this type of song still has a place in music. It is extremely evocative, it pokes at the feelings and emotions we are afraid to share with others, the language we cannot speak is right here in this song.
The exciting and exacting ‘Peanut Brain’ has the punch and kick of ‘Kung Fu’ in just 1.40 this gamechanger sends everyone else packing. In contrast we have the angelic and atmospheric ‘Crashed Out Wasted’ , it has wispy tones that lead to a riff that lights the way in this dark, dark, alley.
The revolutionary ‘Braindead’ reminds me of The Ramones and with the ‘here we go, here we go’ mid-section it is a throwback to their youth and also cements their older but wiser attitude. There is too much going on in the world to cover in one album but by crikey do they deliver a damn good walloping and make everyone stand to attention. The penultimate track is ‘Over And Out’ signalling a message of determination to oust everything that is wrong, a courage to stand tall and preserve our integrity and our dignity. At a time when there is more bad than good, at a time when we are overcome with fear, and uncertainty, this record powers through the dirt and grime, a hugely flavoursome album that will see you right all year round. After thirty years in the business, I’m glad they have returned and secured their rightful place in my lowly life.
Ash – forever relevant, forever impactive, forever in my heart.
Azra Pathan
Ash – Race The Night out now