RIYL: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The B-52’s, The Beatles
They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but maybe CD’s are another matter. Take one look at the warped fonts and far-out artwork that grace the front of Ash Gray and the Girls’ new LP and you’ll probably have a good idea of what sorts of sounds can be found within. With ‘Born in the Summer’, this New York based band expands on the 60’s nostalgia found on their 2011 EP and makes the leap to a more varied sound ranging from 60’s pop to 70’s rock and even some 50’s doo-wop.
With the ‘Girls’ providing a consistent supply of ‘ooh wah oohs’, ‘yeah yeahs’, and other background harmonies, front man Ash Gray leads listeners through a lighthearted set of tunes that never feel excessively nostalgic or trite. For the title track “Born in the Summer”, Gray boasts of being born in the famous 1967 Summer of Love amidst a frenzy of tambourines and lightly distorted guitar soloing. “Purple and Gold”, the album opener, tries it’s hand at psychedelia with a sitar intro but winds up being a fairly straightforward tune, albeit one featuring unicorns and fair maidens.
Since the most direct consequence of being born in ‘67 is growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, the rock-oriented tracks here lean more towards Tom Petty than Jimi Hendrix, but channeling either is no small feat. Both “Call it Buy cialis online a Day Renee” and “The Hottest Chick Around” fit this mold, but the latter is the best example. With a grungy guitar hook, a New Wave synth riff and wonderfully plain lyrics (She didn’t want love/ Her mind was made up/ She had a fast fast car), its totally frivolous and all the more irresistible for it.
The album concludes with more serious fare, the most notable being “Apple Eye”, a short and sweet piano-based ditty. It pairs a playful melody with subtly somber lyrics to create a unique juxtaposition that’s surprisingly catchy and fresh. It’s not quite McCartney, but its close enough to make you wonder what might lie ahead for this talented and refreshingly retro band.
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For More Information Visit:
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http://www.ashgrayandthegirls.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/ASH-GRAY-and-The-GIRLS/50332359117
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kkAPFXe5FE
http://www.myspace.com/ashgrayandthegirls
http://ashgrayandthegirls.bandcamp.com
http://www.reverbnation.com/ashgrayandthegirls
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/AshGrayandTheGirls
