As Madison gets a glimpse of warmer days, residents are beginning to see visions of the summer months. With the thawing of the Midwestern tundra comes new growth, a return to a familiar pastoral setting, and eventually news reports of forest fires from the southern states — fires that will rage and decimate much of the landscape.
When those of us interested in music, those who are not hurriedly packing our dearest belongings and pet-carriers into overloaded sport-utility vehicles, see these reports, our minds will no doubt turn toward ash. “Wasn’t there a band named Ash?” we’ll say. “And shouldn’t their albums be in the used bins by now?”
I come bearing good news: this year the long-overdue sweltering heat will be accompanied by Ash’s first headlining U.S. tour in five years — and yes, you can find them in the used bins.
Ash started out with the single “Jack Names the Planets” in 1994. The median age of the band’s members was only 17, but executives quickly snatched up the British trio, desperate to unearth the next Green Day. From that single came the mini-album Trailer.
Trailer originally sported seven tracks, but a beefed-up U.S. release benefited from an additional four tracks. While “Jack Names the Planets” got the most radio play, good songs weren’t hard to find on the disc. Guitarist Tim Wheeler showcased jarring vocals (“Obscure Thing”) and a lyrical sensibility (“Petrol”). Also not to be downplayed are Wheeler’s talents for locating irresistible guitar hooks, as he showed on tracks like “Uncle Pat.”
However, Trailer was subsumed by the influx of like-sounding music in the American mainstream, keeping Ash a prevalently U.K. trend. That isn’t to say that nobody in America took note of a strong first showing; the three schoolboys went about their business as record executives wheeled and dealed them.
Finally signing with the U.K.’s Infectious Records, Ash returned in 1996 with 1977 and an improved promotion budget. Named for the birthyear of Wheeler, bassist Mark Hamilton, and the much-lauded “Star Wars” franchise, 1977 quickly ascended to the number-one spot on the U.K. charts and made a strong U.S. showing.
Ash advanced its sound in several ways. Infectious tracks like “Girl From Mars” and “Angel Interceptor” highlighted an uncompromising pop aesthetic. “Angel Interceptor,” in particular, is driven by rushing, noisy guitars and sweeping harmonies, toeing the line between rock and pop.
“Goldfinger” received heavy media attention, but was hardly the strongest showing. The band’s ode to Jackie Chan, “Kung Fu,” is explained by Wheeler as “a really bad Ramones song that got too good.”
Other tracks like “Oh Yeah,” “Darkside Lightside” and “Lost the Dream” showed varying facets of what originally seemed an overly simplistic sound.
Late in 1998, Ash returned with a harder sound, a new guitarist and wrap-around sunglasses. Nu-Clear Sounds is the first album to feature fellow 1977-born Charlotte Heatherly of Nightnurse. Freed from some of the instrumental load by Heatherly, Wheeler’s writing style continued to move in divergent directions as he penned both acoustic ballads with lush string arrangements (“Low Ebb,” “Folk Song,” “Aphrodite”) and fuzzed-out guitars matched with turntables (“Deathtrip 21,” “Numbskull,” “Jesus Says”).
Both penchants were fruitful, although the chart showing wasn’t as strong as previous efforts. “Folk Song’s” deliciously spacious guitar parts echo with decaying reverb as Wheeler’s wispy vocals float over the top.
The hard-edged “Deathtrip 21” added swirling samples to Wheeler’s advancing lyrical talent, with lines like, “Story of a man who did never exist / Lord of the skies died / With no look in his eyes / Sleep walked into the afterlife died in his sleep / His face incomplete.”
In 2001, Ash released its most recent full album, Free All Angels. Heatherly assumed an increasing share of responsibility in the band, her powerful guitar presence proving beyond doubt that she was an excellent addition. Free All Angels continued to simplify Ash’s sound, which ironically became more diverse as technical flash was shed.
The truly astounding feat of Free All Angels is the breadth achieved in its 13 tracks. “Walking Barefoot” is a summer anthem, “Shining Light” and “Someday” are classic pop tunes, “Burn Baby Burn” and “Nicole” are rock.
“Candy” could have been sung by Frank Sinatra, swaggering in with the jostling piano line to lyrics like, “Candy, such a joy to me / Inner city nights, I cannot sleep / Oh Candy, sweetest remedy / Only you can ease my troubled dreams.” From start to finish, Free All Angels is a godsend for melody enthusiasts.
In the band’s spare time, members also saw fit to release two live albums (Tokyo Blitz Live, 2001, Live at the Wireless, 1997), a DVD (released at the same time as the U.S. release of Free All Angels) and an exceptional collection of 19 singles (Envy, 2002). Oh, and Heatherly and Wheeler both took part-time jobs as Calvin Klein models.
Now for the first time in the better part of a decade, Ash is headlining its way through the United States with stops May 20 and 21 at Chicago’s Bottom Lounge and Minneapolis’ Ascot Room, respectively.
So as you feel the air conditioning waft around you while pouring over the used bins, remember it’s protecting you from the searing-hot sun — a sun that may have produced many fires, but has only shined over one Ash.
