It’s hard to believe that next year marks 30 years since the release of Ash’s breakthrough debut album ‘1977’. Since then the Northern Ireland band has released another seven studio albums, with their most recent, ‘Race the Night’, peaking at number 14 on the UK album chart in 2023. A little over two years on from that album, Ash is back with ninth studio album ‘Ad Astra’, produced by the band’s frontman Tim Wheeler. With a space theme running through the record, including the eye-catching artwork, are Ash still making music that’s worthy of their legacy?
Opening with Ash’s take on ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’ from ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, the album gets off to a familiar starting, with the band’s trademark guitars adding something new to the mix. The first song proper is ‘Which One Do You Want?’, which sounds a little like something you’d expect from The Smiths in their heyday. With Wheeler’s voice hovering over the jangly guitars, it’s a strong start and a clear sign that Ash has lost none of the magic that has kept them in the game for the past 30 years.
‘Fun People’, one of the two songs on the record to feature Blur’s Graham Coxon is a real taste of what a Blur x Ash crossover would sound like. It’s part ‘Parklife’ with the rockier edge that Ash is known for by way of ‘Song 2’. The other song that features Coxon is the title track, which closes the album, which is a more straightforward Ash song. It has a euphoric feel that makes it perfect for the final track. Elsewhere on the album ‘Give Me Back My World’ is a pure rush of classic Ash, ‘Hallion’ is a beat-driven explosive pop/rock moment, and ‘Deadly Love’ sounds like it’s been ripped right out of the Britpop era, in a good way.
‘My Favourite Ghost’, one of the album’s more stripped back moments is a welcome change of pace. It also showcases the versatility of Ash as a band. Wheeler’s voice shines above the instrumentation and it gives him a break from battling against crunching guitars. ‘Jump in the Line’ sees the band covering Harry Belafonte’s classic, which is probably best-known for appearing in ‘Beetlejuice’, and ‘Keep Dreaming’ is a modern take on the 90s guitar rock that Ash rose up the charts with. The double adrenaline shot of ‘Dehumanised’ and ‘Ghosting’ forms one of the best parts of the album.
‘Ad Astra’ sounds like a band that knows what it can do, that’s just having fun making some music. There’s nothing overly heavy or weighty here; the album is just a 43-minute joyride of pop/rock perfection. Ash has seen many of their peers drop off over the years but they’re still here, still making music that’s worthy of their extensive catalogue. Sounding renewed and energised, Ash will please their fanbase with this record and they’ve once again cemented their place in the modern chart landscape.
Track list: 1. Zarathustra 2. Which One Do You Want? 3. Fun People (feat. Graham Coxon) 4. Give Me Back My World 5. Hallion 6. Deadly Love 7. My Favourite Ghost 8. Jump in the Line 9. Keep Dreaming 10. Dehumanised 11. Ghosting 12. Ad Astra (feat. Graham Coxon) Record label: Fierce Panda Records Release date: 3rd October 2025 Buy ‘Ad Astra’ now
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