The ‘90s produced some amazing Alternative Rock music. With many bands having come and gone since then, one who has sustained longevity for over 30 years is Northern Ireland’s Ash. An act which has earned silver, gold, and platinum selling albums in the United Kingdom, surprisingly, they have never really broken through into the US market. Save their 2001 album Free All Angels, which actually made it onto US charts, for the most part, Ash is relatively less known on that side of the Atlantic.
Rather unfortunate, Ash’s sound mixes Pop, Alternative Rock, even traditional Punk. Also being exceptionally good at creating infectious melodies, those who know of Ash, know quite well what they can offer. Releasing music rather consistently from their 1996 debut 1977 through to 2018’s Islands, 2023 find Ash back at it again with their new album Race the Night.
The band’s 8th overall studio record, and released on September 15th through Fierce Panda, Race the Night marks the first in Ash’s discography to include exclusive production from Frontman Tim Wheeler since 2007’s Twilight of the Innocents. Of significance for various reasons, most importantly is that the overall sound is much rawer. This is coupled with a set of songs themselves which possess what feels like a new found fresh energy. Very on point for Ash – who has successfully produced some really colorful, lively albums through the years – there is much to enjoy within Race the Night.
Consisting of 11 songs, 4 of which were released prior to the album, much of Race the Night feels like something much more rooted in classic ’90s Alternative Rock than anything else. Actually a very good thing, it feels alive; this is whereas many other modern over polished recordings quickly lose their appeal on some. However, what really sells Race the Night are the catchy, well-written songs.
With an eclectic mix, you have more Pop-oriented pieces like the title-track and “Usual Places,” but also the really beautiful stripped down “Oslo,” featuring accenting vocals from Dutch Singer Démira, as well as the Dream Pop vibed “Crashed Out Wasted.” Then on the opposite end, you also have the really killer, heavy “Like A God” and “Braindead,” but also the more out of leftfield sound of “Double Dare” which features some great guitar tones.
Overall, Race the Night is a rather different sounding record from what Wheeler, Mark Hamilton (bass), and Rick McMurray (drums) have done in more recent years. By and large it is loud, wild, and a throwback of sorts. Making for a very fun listen, Cryptic Rock gives Race the Night 4 out of 5 stars.
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