Customer Reviews

Twilight of the Innocents

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I normally don't write too many CD reviews, because most of the time I feel that I have nothing to add to the usually voluminous reviews on most CD's. So in this case, I felt very surprised that nobody has written a review on this CD which has been released for over a month, especially since this is such good music. May be it's because Ash is from Nothern Ireland and therefore unfamiliar in the States. I wouldn't rate this CD 5 stars, but I could honestly say the stuff here is better than 80% of the new music out there. Ash's latest release has songs that with good melodies, intelligent and reflective lyrics, and good execution. The best track is the title track, "Twilight of the Innocents". In fact, IMO just the title track is worth the price of the CD. It has the kind of emotional outburst that brings to mind the Who's "Love Reign O'er Me". This is a good band with some great stuff. It'd be a shame if more people didn't check them out. Enjoy!

I think this album is very good i was quite afraid to buy it ashes cd have not been as good as free all angels ,but it decent.The standouts are ,i started a fire, you cant have it all,polaris, and twilight of the innocents ,the songs are well written and played .Buy this cd if you like feeder iam sure you will like these guys to.I hope this review was helpfull to you

All born in that key year of 1977 and friends since their schooldays in County Down, the three members of Ash (Tim Wheeler, Mark Hamilton and Rick McMurray) have churned out an impressive catalogue of punk/pop in their short lives. "Twilight of the Innocents" is their fifth proper album, and though critics in Britain and Ireland savaged the thing, it's mustard. In typical fashion, Wheeler steps into proceedings with a plaintive cry, lost and powerless and wondering how to cool down a pash that's a brushfire out of control. Then the band kicks in, hard and melodic, crashing and yet riding the hook. It's the Ash formula and it makes for some scorching rock as backdrop to young lerv. Ash essentially have two kinds of songs: 1) I'm in love with that girl in my class and now it's summer and she drives me mad because she's the bee's knees or 2) this whole rock star thing sucks my soul and what happened to the simple life, to my boyhood in a quiet nook of Norniron? "Twilight" serves up both. While "1977" remains their seminal album, Ash continue to shine, the old themes kitted out anew. There's the endearing "Shadows," for instance, or "Ritual" with its sweet side of The Pretenders guitar work. The stonking single "You Can't Have It All" is definitely one of their best ever tunes. Check out Hamilton's great rumbling bass or the way the chorus flies out of the gate, fast and bold. Why wasn't this a hit stateside? Criminal really. Ash recently made an Irish Times list of best, most influential Irish artists, a tag they more than deserve. Check out their whole back catalogue if you still have the breakable heart of a teenager and can play air guitar like a total blissed-out eejit.

As the sole other reviewer of this album (as of this post) commented, it's surprising that such an awesome band has flown under the radar screen among Amazon customers. Since 1994, this pop-punk/alternative band from Northern Ireland has delivered songs that both rock and contain irresistible hooks. "Twilight of the Innocents," Ash's sixth album, is no exception. Several songs especially stand out: the upbeat, catchy "Blacklisted," the bittersweet "Polaris," the sweeping "End of the World," and the swooning "I Started a Fire." This isn't the best Ash album ("Free All Angels" deserves that mantle, in my opinion). It lacks the edginess of Ash's previous material, and something seems missing now that the band has lost guitarist/backing vocalist Charlotte Hatherley and returned to its original status as a three-piece. Still, the band's newest album is full of songs I could never tire of. So do yourself a favor and check these guys out--you won't be disappointed.

Like much of Corporate America, Ash recently went through some downsizing. It's rather odd, too, since they've been residing in NYC ever since. Anyway, gone is Charlotte Hatherley. The band made a pre-emptive strike... sorta like breaking up with your girlfriend before she breaks up with you. They probably did the right thing because why record an album and then have someone disappear and try and figure out how to pull it off live? As a perfect example, this version includes a bonus disc which reveals exactly what happens to songs when you remove Charlotte from them. Those old songs have something missing (although if you love adding those harmonies to "Burn Baby Burn", this will be perfect for you), but the new ones sound great! Tim's back to his old guitar tricks to cover up the lack of another guitar, but the new songs are confident and challenging. The title track is absolutely brilliant! Rick has never sounded so massive behind the kit. "I Started A Fire" kicks off the record and Tim's vocals shine. And all over the record, Mark's bass has an "umph" that really brings it all together. I think this new era of Ash is great! If you see them live, you might be a little disappointed on the older tracks when certain things are missing, but now they're making music for a three-piece to be played by a three-piece... and I can't think of many bands doing it better than Ash right now.