The first album proper by Ash was 1977, released in 1996 and so called partly because two of the band members were born in 1977, which made them 19 at its release. It’s now another 19 years on but Spook School show that the Ash influence is still strong. Older Review Cornerers say that Ash just ripped off Manchester’s finest, Buzzcocks, anyway.
It’s not only the sound of the music that’s very Ash-like — guitar-led fast, scuzzy pop — it’s the fact that if you’re a teenager and getting into music, you could fall in love with this. We almost wish we’d never listened to all the music we have and could approach this with a clean slate. We’d think it was fantastic: raucous, and bursting with noisy and joyous jangly pop songs. Lead vocals shared by Anna Cory and one of the lads, possibly Nye Todd, who give it a live feel.
We’ve got no lyrics but the internet assures they sing about more than falling in and out of love and drinking fruit-flavoured cider, instead exploring gender, sexuality and queer issues — Nye is trans, and their sexual politics led them to being the subject of a Rolling Stone documentary.
Song titles include Burn Masculinity and Richard and Judy (how easy it is to accept the norm, however bad that is), as well as I Want To Kiss You, which we guess is not political.
Here in the Review Corner we’re very fond of the music of Mina Caputo, who as Keith released music of a clearly troubled man. Whatever Nye Todd’s struggles, that’s not reflected in the music, which is as happy as it comes. Buy for the music, you’ll love it; listen to the lyrics to get on message.