Ash-1977

Ash are often derided as some kind of sickly pop rock group, the kind you sneer at while you stick on your Venezualan post funk slowcore from the the 1970's on your record player. But I love Ash. I'll listen to any record they'll put out. And I'll more than likely enjoy it.
'1977' is the peak of Ash's existence, when they broke through to the mainstream as teenagers and were well recieved by the public and the critics. It is one of my favourite albums (top three), and takes a special place in my heart. If there was ever a book of great hooks and guitar riffs then the Rolling Stones would be given a chapter and Ash would be given a few pages at the least. It is Ash's fuzziest, most exuberant, catchiest album full of great grungy pop songs that may surprise people who have only heard later work from the band. Tim Wheeler's voice has been criticised for being flat, but to me it sounds like the defining voice of youth, that imperfect, longing voice that is none more apt than on 1977. Lose Control is a fantastic start to the album; a screeching, noisy roar speeding into a super fast, punchy, punky tune. Goldfinger is propelled by some great drumming from McMurray and Girl from mars has Wheeler's breathless voice reminisce over his elusive lost love. Kung Fu is a riotous, noisy track featuring excerpts from Kung fu movies and lyrics about Jackie Chan. Oh Yeah, perhaps the most famous song from the album, and also my favourite, features an extremely catchy hook and strings combining with guitar to great effect. For me, it evokes images of an isolated house in the countryside, down a country lane, where a white house stands silently in the moonlight. The curtains billow, and youthful lovers become entwined in the dark night. It really is brilliant. Those are just some of the standouts for me, but really the whole album is fantastic, not one bad song. It feels kinda weird having to justify my love for Ash, when there's an album like '1977' in their discography.