Alternative rock band Ash has always seemed forward-thinking. Their 1996 debut 1977 is considered by many to be one of the greatest records of the Britpop era. Their 2007 release, Twilight of Innocents, became an outlet to protest against their previous label.
After relishing in an eight-year hiatus, the northern Ireland rockstars realized that they needed an album to accommodate the rise of streaming services. Fast forward to three years later, and here we have their eighth official studio project in Islands.
Ash always prided themselves on pushing some type of boundary, which is why it was surprising to see their most recent effort sound so industry and run-of-the-mill. Most of the guitar riffs and artistic structure of each song on Islands sounds precariously uniform. Most tracks blend in with each other as a result.
It’s difficult to differentiate the production on “True Story” and “Annabel,” other than the fact that the tempo was maybe sped up a little bit on the latter.
Lead singer Tim Wheeler definitely used Weezer as an influence while recording this album. It’s no surprise the two groups toured with each other prior to Islands. However, Ash appears to take Weezer’s sound and create a derivative version of it. Very rarely did Wheeler’s artistic pallet shine through the music.
On top of that, the lyrics either felt empty or too nonsensical to even matter. The very unpleasant “Buzzkill” lives up to its name, as Wheeler screams “summer is here, summer is gone, buzzkill, killing my fucking buzzkill.” The lack of any lyrical depth is meme-worthy, and this was the pinnacle, especially on the repetitive chorus.
The rest of the tracks suffer from simple alt-rock arrangements and mixing. Take the very atmospheric and plain “Incoming Waves” as an illustration. The transparent acoustic performance and distinct songwriting acts as a precedent for the entire record. The airy chimes in the background are surprisingly melodic, and acts as a highlight.
If there’s any inkling of solid thematic exploration, Wheeler and company finds it on the prompt and swift “It’s a Trap.” The topic of confronting this world headfirst without being afraid complements the fleeting electric guitar segments superbly well. It’s one of the few moments where Ash experiments with their own methods.
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For some reason, Wheeler’s voice is not soothing enough for a mellow song. His performance on “Did Your Love Burn Out?” fails to capture an emotional adventure regarding romantic endeavors (why’d you let me down, my girl/why’d you let me down/did I read you wrong). The overall concept sounds like an outdated version of a punk band from the early 2000s. It’s frustrating considering the evolution of Ash. Something like this would feature great on a debut album, not when it’s your eighth rodeo.
Many of the other cuts on Islands operate as filler for an album that ironically represents a label-driven venture. Much like Weezer, Ash looks to have hit some kind of writers block. Rather than taking a few more years off to find a different route creatively, Islands serves as a poor attempt at trying to keep diehard fans, while adding new ones at the same time.
Much like Rivers Cuomo, Wheeler flounders his pursuit to gain credibility on the radio. Evidently, the love songs become stale to the point where they’re not gaining any momentum amongst the mainstream crowd, mainly because of an archaic sound that’s been done so many times before.
Maybe Ash should abandon their label again to find some inspiration. Maybe they should take another eight year hiatus to boast their passionate songwriting again. Or, maybe they should retire from serious music altogether. Whatever decision they make will become a critical one, because Islands ended up being a disappointing product.
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