Rock band Ash – now minus one Charlotte Hatherley – recently announced that their fifth full length album Twilight of the Innocents would be their last.
Whether a genuine attempt to adapt to the digital era or a PR stunt, the Northern Irish trio have decided to only release singles in the future, which in theory means they will be able to write, record and release their music almost instantly, with their fans benefiting from not having to wait so long for new material to drop.
Ash frontman Tim Wheeler explains: “The way people listen to music has changed, with the advent of the download the emphasis has reverted to single tracks.
"It hasn’t helped that most people have forgotten how to make a decent album. I’m constantly disappointed with records I buy.
“I believe our new album is the pinnacle of everything we’ve done thus far, and I’m proud that this will be remembered as our last album.
"The future lies elsewhere and we can have a lot of fun by changing things up. It’s like the Wild West at the moment, a time to take chances and try out new ideas.”
They say:
Drowned in Sound: “This is an impressive way to make your exit.”
MusicOMH: “It sounds like they’re acknowledging what we’ve known for a long time – Ash are simply a good singles band. Enjoy them for what they are.”
New Noise: “If Ash are going to find their new identity and their place in the scene as it stands, they need to say goodbye to what made them famous and start to grow up a little more.”
We say:
From pubescent anthems ‘Girl from Mars’ and ‘A Life Less Ordinary’ to lovey dovey ballad ‘Shining Light’, Ash have always had a knack for conjuring up great singles.
It’s somewhat odd, then, that they choose to announce they will soon focus solely on the digital singles market with an album that contains few potential hits.
Indeed, with the exception of the string laden ‘Polaris’, which boasts a piano driven intro recorded at Bono’s plush abode in the south of France and Pixies copycat ‘Blacklisted’, there’s little on Twilight of the Innocents to get excited about.
That’s not to say the album stinks. It’s just very... ordinary.
Mid paced pop punk work outs such as ‘I Started a Fire’, ‘Ritual’ and ‘Princess Six’ rarely get the adrenaline pumping and at times border on self parody, while ballads ‘End of the World’ and ‘Shadows’ are essentially residents of blandville (and not the one in Ballard County, Kentucky).
It doesn’t help matters that Wheeler’s voice has all the expressiveness, range and uniqueness of a BT voice menu.
In the end Twilight of the Innocents sees Ash moving away from the traditional album format in a blaze of averageness rather than glory.
Like this? Try these:
Feeder – Echo Park
Foo Fighters – There is Nothing Left to Lose
Idlewild – 100 Broken Windows
RELEASED
2nd July ‘06
LABEL
Infectious
POSTED...
Wed 27 Jun 2007 at 11:08pm
