Ash: Chinnerys, Southend

Belfast icons Ash took their Ad Astra tour to Southend’s seafront last night. A sold-out Chinnerys was treated to the indie veterans and fellow Fierce Panda labelmates Bag of Cans.

Their latest album ‘Ad Astra’ has enjoyed cut through with its Graham Coxon collaboration and the cover of ‘Jump the Line’. The latter, given a real punk-rock makeover amid the 90s and early 00s.

It’s ‘Deadly Love’ and ‘Which One Do You Want’ from the new album, which shine brightest. The former saw Mark Hamilton’s basslines devastate like Sonic Youth as they throbbed with great menace. Frontman Tim Wheeler’s angelic vocals fight through the colossal sound, acting as a ray of light to cling to amid the gut-wrenching lyrics. Countering the devastation is ‘Which One Do You Want’, the finest Johnny Marr track he never wrote. Its initial shimmering guitars glide toward the forlorn solos, freeing Wheeler to allow his infectious vocals.

Elsewhere, ‘Orpheus’ obliterated souls with its huge riffs and mesmeric ability to make you feel Brian Wilson is fronting ...And You Will Know Us By Trail of the Dead or Queens of the Stone Age. Standing up to this classic was ‘Ad Astra’ thrash-joyride ‘Hallion’ which thrilled like The Wildhearts and sought meaning like ‘Ignore The Ignorant’ era of The Cribs.

During ‘Oh Yeah’ and ‘Goldfinger’, Ash don’t just revisit their youth, they reopen ours. The songs rush in like the first reckless summer you thought would never end, all noise and nerve and wide-eyed belief. In rooms like this, sweat-flecked, shoulder-to-shoulder, gloriously unpolished, these anthems first learned how to belong to a nation. Then ‘Girl From Mars’ detonates. Suddenly, you can see the moment they left this world for greatness.

These songs weren’t written for or played for James Van Der Beek, but with his recent tragic passing, Wheeler’s lyricism is so indebted to those angelic days when nothing and everything mattered.  

As for Ash, they were never of their time, which is why they resonated so clearly.

Ash – Darkest Hour of the Night

Today marks the release of the Ash’s new single ‘Darkest Hour of the Night’. It’s taken from their upcoming compilation ‘Teenage Wildlife’, a compilation spanning their 25-year career.

Described by head honcho Tim Wheeler “a ray of light to pierce the darkest night of the soul – a redemptive anthem for a new decade,” it is their funkiest single to date. Lyrically, it’s a helping hand of the canvas. Get up and dance, everything will be OK permeates throughout.

It’s in the vain of Blossoms’ pop masterclass ‘Your Girlfriend’, it will stomp its way into your heart like their Phil Spector inspired classic ‘Candy’. Resplendent with handclaps, horns from Rubblebucket and sumptuous backing vocals, it’s clear Ash are still masters of the alt-pop single.

Roll on Valentine’s Day and the release of a truly remarkable back catalogue.

Fred Deakin - Fred Deakin Presents The Lasters

Fred Deakin, one half of the legendary Lemon Jelly, has returned with his first solo project. Not willing to put out tried and tested Lemon Jelly-esque material, Deakin has produced ‘Fred Deakin Presents The Lasters’, a Sci-Fi concept album.

Former Ash guitarist, Charlotte Hatherley, features as the protagonist in this coming of age climate change via space thriller. Hatherley’s vocal ability to deliver a sense of the silver screen is key to its success.

The slow realisation that, her character, has the knowledge to fuel hope on ‘I Remember’ is a glorious moment of self-discovery optimism. Whereas, on ‘Goodbye Father’, she becomes defiant, a sci-fi icon in the making.

Despite Deakin’s attempts to find new creative outlets, there are moments that Lemon Jelly fans will savour. The cuteness of Hatherley’s vocals and the acoustic guitars on ‘Bringing Back to You’ recall their classic The Staunton Lick’.

Deakin’s attempts are not in vain though. On ‘Through The Veil’ and ‘The End of the World’, he finds another level. They are, at points, expert pop ballads. Sumptuous melodies and dazzling guitar craftsmanship ooze from them. It’s not just the pop classicism that lands though. Without giving spoilers away, their introduction into the narrative signifies a happy ending is nigh.

On ‘Rush’ and ‘Goodbye Father’, Deakin pays homage to Public Service Broadcasting. In particular, ‘Rush’, he finds a way to deliver the first meaningful pop song of 2020. Meanwhile, ‘Get The Message Through’ has nodes of John Martyn’s ‘Small Hours’, and no album is not better for that!

It’s been 17 years since Lemon Jelly’s ‘Lost Horizons’ was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, surely it’s time for another nomination.