Free All Angels [ECD] - Ash > Reviews > burn down to your record store now baby

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money

Advantages:	only one weak track, great guitar pop
Disadvantages:	that weak track

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Free All Angels is the latest album by ash, band with members still in their early twenties and a knack for great guitar pop.

After a very diverse last album this is more of a return to 1977 territory with more distorted guitar driven anthems.

Heres a track by track breakdown.

1-Walking Barefoot

Starting with a simple guityar melody backed over by Wheelers vocals it isn't too long before the song erupts into a rock. The breezy guitar hook is there throughout while the lyrics sing about a dreamy romantic summer. It's a good start to the album.

2-Shining Light

This is the first single and perosnally I think it's one of the bands best songs so far. Lyrically it'svery solid and it's one of the songs that doesn't resort to distortion with a very catchy chorus. Musically it's a real progression.

3-Burn Baby Burn

Origianlly titled 'Slow Suicide', This is the second single and it's one of the best tracks. It moves along quickly with a very anthemic chorus singing "Look into my tired eyes, see someone you don't recognize. The lyrics seem to suggest it's quite downbeat but with a simple guitar hook it creeps into your head and stays there. The perfect moshpit song and sure to be a live favourite.

4-Candy

Opening with a sample of 'Make It Easy On Yourself' by The Walker Brothers, this is another real progression musically. Wheeler's vocals are high and breezy as the song progresses into an epic chorus with the sample playing a major part.

5-Cherry Bomb

This is a song that is a cross betwwen stuff on 1977 and Nu-Clear Sounds. It starts with a very fuzzy and deep riff and straightforward vocals before again going into a very breezy and romantic chorus. It's a good time song with a wah wah guitar part in it.

6-Submission

Personally I think this is probably the weakest track on the album. It's pretty sample and straightfoward but lacks the real guitar pop that proceeds it. If it weren't for the infectious chorus this would get very repetitive as it stands it just seems out of place.

7-Someday

Opening with an acoustic guitar and string arrangement. This is very polished song that has a great string arrangement throughout and sounds quite poetic and laid back. It'd another progression and shows a more restrained side.

8-Pacific Palisades

This brings you right back into the more harder edgier pop. With a pounding simple mix of lyrics and music it has a simple and summery feel that harks back to '1977'.

9-Shark

A distorted riff, racing vocals and very simple but effetive chorus. This is a very punky song that has some shaeds of Nirvana without the howling Cobain viocals. It also has some of that wah wah guitar solo that has become an Ash trademark.

10-Sometimes

Another more polished piece of guitar pop with more romantic dreamy vocals and lyrics. Also the addition of female backup vocals make it a very simple but effective tune.

11-Nicole

This has the makings of a real live favourite with some instantly rememberable chorus that simply goes "I said No, I killed my baby but I loved her". It's just the hook that grabs you and the simplicity. Another grungy poppy song.

12-There's A Star

Opening with some epic strings that wouldn't be out of place in a film score. This is another well arranged song that has some great guitar and simple lyrics and once again has the hazy summer feel.

13-World Domination

To finish off there's a very punky tune that is just Ash having a great time with some rocking vocals that move along quickly with a very loose guitar riff. It's a great way to sogn off the album with the words "Gimme World Domination"

If you remember back to the summer of a few years ago when you had the teenage lust of songs like GoldFinger and Oh Yeah. Well this is Ash returning to those days with more progression. if you liked the previous two albums then you should love this. It's certainly got more of an edge to it. In a time when it's either rap/rock from america or more downbeat and restrained music in the charts it's good to see a band that can still rock back to basics.

It's also worth noting that there is a cd-rome feature on this album where you can create your own Ash video with various clips. The only problem is you need a hefty specced computer to actually run it.