Ash
Meltdown

THE REVIEW

It took three years of waiting (partially filled by the notable collection "Intergalactic Sonic 7's," containing singles and juicy b-sides) to listen to a new album by Ash, a band that, since the fantastic debut "1977," has gathered a following around the world not comparable to that of other more well-known American punk rock bands (Offspring, Foo Fighters, etc.) but certainly loyal. And it is the same loyalty that led me to buy the fourth album from the Northern Irish group after the glories of "Free All Angels," perhaps their greatest commercial success.

Well, this time I felt a sense of disappointment when listening to the new tracks: perhaps because Tim Wheeler's songwriting talent had accustomed me to different expectations (listen to pieces like "Walking Barefoot," "Goldfinger," or "Shining Light"), or perhaps because everyone expected this album to be the one of definitive maturity, but the truth is that "Meltdown" is an album that barely earns the three stars I give out of pure esteem.
The shift towards a harder and fuller rock turns out to be a red herring because, apart from some happy intuitions like the powerful "Clones" or the dark "Vampire Love," many tracks are repetitions of clichés from Ash's old albums, but lacking that melodic freshness that brought quality even to the "lighter" songs in their repertoire like "Candy" or "Girl From Mars."

The production imitates bands like Queens Of The Stoned Age a lot (starting with the rather ugly graphic design of the CD), and precisely from a compositional standpoint Wheeler and company begin to show some unsuspected cracks: tracks like "Evil Eye" (the best on the record) and the single "Orpheus," both closely tied to the sounds of their past, are excusable, but the rest is little better than their B-sides (and sometimes not even that, like the bland ballad "Starcrossed" or the unnecessary "On A Wave").

The main flaw seems to be the lack of good ideas, and a meticulous search for arrangements that wear thin in the long run: in general, fans welcomed "Meltdown" well, but I honestly think it's the worst album from a band that nevertheless gave a lot with their first three works, and I'm sorry to have to say that I'll only listen to those.
Time may prove me wrong, but the disappointment is bitter, especially because I expected so much from them.