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Jun 06, 2018 Web Exclusive By Stephen Mayne

Find It At: AMAZON

Northern Irish rockers Ash formed in 1992, releasing the first of what now amounts to seven albums in 1996. After a steady decline from the high point that was 2001's Free All Angels, it was easy to assume time in the spotlight was done as each subsequent release spiraled closer to irrelevancy.

Let's not deliver the last rites just yet. Islands—cool, catchy, and a whole lot of fun—has them back on form. There's an aching sadness in some of the lyrics as the passage of time comes to weigh heavily on a group no longer young. Then they rock out a "Buzzkill" or "Somersault."

That sadness still stings as frontman Tim Wheeler sings "All I've got is time/to think about the moment it went wrong" on the superb closing number "Incoming Waves," but it's hard not to come away buoyed by the slick guitar hooks and yearnful vocals of years gone by.

It's often said that there are no new stories in the world. Well Ash isn't trying to tell one. We've heard it all before, and it turns out it's worth hearing again. Vultures disperse, the end isn't here yet. (www.ash-official.com)

Author rating: 7/10