Band : Ash

Album title : Twilight Of The Innocents

Label : Infectious

Distributor : Warner Music

Release date : 02/07/2007

Release : CD

Gee, has it really been 3 years already since Ireland's previous album Meltdown ? Well, it has, and meanwhile some things changed. First, they've parted ways with second guitarist Charlotte Hatherley (who'd already debuted with the August 2004 album Grey Will Fade – preceded by single Kim Wilde – and has recently followed that up with her second album) after a tenure of nine years, in January 2006. This has left the band as a trio consisting of singer/ guitarist/ keyboarder & programmer Tim Wheeler , bassist Mark Hamilton , and drummer Rick McMurphy . However, the trio concept ain't exactly new to the band, by the way, because it's how they started out in the first place. Another thing that changed, is the fact that both Wheeler and McMurray changed their former “home” London for New York, which is where the new album was recorded between June '06 and January '07 with Wheeler taking the reins in the productional area.

The musical formula of this North-Irish band, which is a hybrid of Grunge, Punk and Pop...with occasional orchestrations...has remained the same since the band's conception 15 years ago, and has never failed to please the band's fans. Oh well, they may have lost a couple of youngsters-in-growing-pains, but only to win over others.

The band's 5 th studio album was preceded by the April '07 released EP You Can't Have It All (title track also on the album, accompanied by 3 previously unreleased tracks). If you've heard the band before and liked what was displayed, you can almost blindly buy the new album as well. Just like on Meltdown , the band alternates more powerful PowerPop with semi-balladesque songs (in which you'll often find “orchestratated” keyboards). And, while we could discuss about which kind of songs are “the better” ones, you have to take a band like it comes. At the end of the day, every Ash albums is an item that needs several listening session to be appreciated to the fullest. But when you DO give the album enough spins, each and every song starts growing on you for reasons separate and unique.

For a taster, surf to myspace.com/ash, where you can listen to mp3s of the typically more powerful Ash with “Blacklisted” , and the more “sensitive” Ash with “Polaris” , “End Of The World” (with still some nice guitar work anyway), and the slightly longer (6:21) album title track with its calmer opening and in crescendo bombastic ending. Hum, weird cross-section of songs, but then the album is somewhat “lighter” overall as well. And, ratings being somewhat of a personal thing, THAT is why this album is NOT gonna end up in my year lists this time around!

90/100

Tony.