An LP Release from Ash Red Brings Classic Influences

A brand new album release from Ash Red just dropped, and this record combines such amazing elements of alternative-pop, post-punk, punk rock, classic rock, and so much more, all rolled up into one big record, and it all comes at you with this unique set of energies and waves of intensities that come and go.

The album starts with the track called "Take Me", which wastes zero time giving you more of a thrashy, punk tonality but done with a tasteful approach and high energy that just doesn't let up.

One of the great things about a track like this is that it's incredibly catchy, and that repetitive course sort of buries itself in your brain.

It feels almost like something that would have been released in the very early 80s, and I love how they're able to nail that era of music in different ways throughout the record.

"Control" is a great example of a track that also captures a late '80s or early '90s post-punk approach, complete with chorus effected guitars, brooding bass tones, theatrical vocals that make you think of bands like The Cure, and the fun thing about it is that the track isn't afraid to get a little bit harder too.

At a certain point, guitars get distorted, things get a little heavier, but not over the top. Things are very well balanced throughout this entire album, from the energy to the tones of their instruments and performances.

Songs like "Hopeless" portray how the band can give you massive sonic presents and drive through more of a heavy-handed distortion, but done in a way that creates layers of thickness to everything.

This is a song that gives you waves of guitars that come crashing down, and throughout it all, you can still hear that sort of punk or post-punk style bass guitar tone.

The bass guitar is actually one of the more evident elements of this entire release.

The way it's performed, the tone of it, and how it helps drive the songs in different ways is very unique, but again, kind of old school.

For me, this record was completely nostalgic. Each individual track gives you a different form of that nostalgia because they're able to nail these certain soundscapes every time.

Whether it's a song that thrashes out a little harder and gives you a punk feel, more of a heavy rock drive approach, or post-punk aesthetic, these guys can really pull their influences together to create something that creates its own atmosphere, and I found that enticing.

Bangers like 'Friends" bring elements of a few different worlds together. Still giving you that big wall of sound with the guitars and bass, along with sort of watery, flowy, and melodic vocals that still have elements of brooding in their undertone but have a brightness as well.

The blend of color, edginess, slight brooding, and emotional backbone all come together like puzzle pieces throughout this entire release.

Then there are songs like "Alone Again", which boast an almost grunge feel. It's got heavy but very melodic guitars, and vocals that are a bit more simplified throughout the song so that you can take in the lyrics easily, and they give off great melody, but the song is perfectly mid-90s grunge from start to finish.

This is absolutely a record that you should be hearing in its entirety.

One of the reasons is that, as I mentioned throughout this article, there are so many different styles and approaches throughout it that listening to a few checks won't give you the full idea.

Listening to the record all the way through is, hands down, the best way to go so that you can really take in everything it has to offer.

I feel like this is a record that is perfect for people in my age group. People who grew up in the '80s, '90s, or even early 2000s and love the music that came along with it.

This is a band that really loves those genres and those times and music, and they were able to portray that love through their own songs incredibly well, to the point where a lot of the songs actually do feel like they could have been released in different decades.

Don't get me wrong, the record is completely confluent. It all has a great and almost seamless flow, it all belongs together, and again, doing the full record is something that will give you the right experience.

I do have to say, some of the songs I've mentioned already stand on their own two feet as singles very well.

This drummer doesn't just add in the pocket sort of beats. He gives the right energy and brings a very particular liveliness to the songs, which almost feels like the rest of the band pushes off of.

The album is called The Foreign Game. It was released just today and absolutely deserves your attention.

The lyrics revolve around real emotion and genuine situations, so a lot of it comes from personal spaces that feel authentic.

I feel that a lot of people will get attached to that aspect of the record as well.

I myself got mostly attached to how they were able to portray their influences so well and how intense some of the performances actually were.

A lot of the songs on this record have a unique way of putting you in the moment with them, and that stayed with me.

Don't just take my word for it, though; take a deep dive into this record right now and remember where you heard it first.

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