Ash
Nu-clear Sounds

THE REVIEW

The second album by Ash (the one that is "historically" considered in the UK as "the maturity album") saw several important changes within the Northern Irish band that emerged in '96 with the debut "1977": the most significant of which was undoubtedly the addition of guitarist Charlotte Hatherley (initially opposed by the more "radical" fans), brought in to add more substance to the group's sound.

The result of the sessions with this "new lineup" was an album, "Nu-clear Sounds," released in the fall of 1998, just as surprising as the debut two years earlier, but in a different sense: having abandoned their image as a "teenage band" for the indie crowd, Ash attempted a leap in quality with a work that was not easy on the first listen and indeed did not achieve the hoped-for sales, even if in my opinion it represents a small forgotten gem.

To shake off the success of "1977," Tim Wheeler & co. winked at primarily lo-fi sounds, thanks also to the production of Owen Morris, who exaggerated the more "hard" and "garage" aspects of the tracks: "Projects," the opening track, explodes like a bomb and recalls certain hit songs by the Nirvana (for example, "Drain You"); the echo of Lou Reed (the band's idol) resonates in the single "Jesus Says," while the Stooges peek through in "Fortune Teller," practically a reinterpretation of the classic "Search & Destroy." Despite their punk/britpop origins, it is the grunge of Mudhoney etc., that is the main source of the album: evidenced by the very hard "Numbskull," a song accompanied by a scandalous video, while "Death Trip 21" is a not very successful venture into hardcore.

The only link to the punkpop of their old hits is represented by "Wildsurf," an ironic homage to the Beach Boys: aside from that, the atmosphere of the album is surprisingly dark and desperate, except for the dreamy (and beautiful) "Folk Song." Unfortunately, the dramatic "Low Ebb," "Burn Out" (which almost seems like a '70s ballad by the Who), the nocturnal "Aphrodite," and the Radiohead-like "I'm Gonna Fall" are not entirely convincing. Ultimately, "Nu-clear Sounds" could have been a distinctly better work but is not entirely without excellent songs, albeit unusual for Ash's style.