1977 Kansas

1977

Ash

Reprise Records, 1996

REVIEW BY: George Agnos

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 02/11/1999

Ash is a British rock band that had a few hits in the UnitedKingdom but made no headway here in the United States. I can'tanswer why Ash and other British rock bands have had troublesucceeding in the U.S., but I do think that Americans are missingout on some very good music. And it is a shame that many Americanshave never heard Ash's 1996 release, which is called 1977 because that is when the band members were born. If youdo the math, you will realize that I am talking about teenagers whowrite some pretty cool tunes, better than a lot of older artistsI've heard.

Their songs might not have the emotional depth of Fiona Apple,who is around the same age, but they do show some cleverness andcharm. Ash are obviously influenced by the alternative rock scene.Their overall sound recalls bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, or theirfellow countrymen, Bush. But unlike Bush, they add an interestingspin to the genre. Whereas Bush is content to just imitate theSeattle bands so much so that you would think they are from there,Ash is not afraid to add a distinctive Britishness to their music,as they seem to also be influenced by the 90's Britpop bands aswell.

Ash show they mean business right off the bat with "LoseControl", a blistering guitar, bass, and drum attack that is soloud, singer Tim Wheeler is just about drowned out. The next song,"Goldfinger", is also loud but more melodic, not unlike a StoneTemple Pilots song. There was no excuse for this song not be a hitin America. "Girl From Mars" shifts gears once again as the guitarsare turned down a little, and you hear the Britpop influence with amelody that is guaranteed to stick in your head for days.

Other highlights include "Kung Fu", which shows that Ash canwrite and perform Ramones style songs to a tee. This tribute toKung Fu movies even includes a reference to the Ramones song,"Teenage Lobotomy". And "Let It Flow" and "Angel Interceptor"manage to sound like perfect power-pop gems without losing any oftheir grunginess. The result is two songs that come off soundinglike a heavier Matthew Sweet.