Ash - Ad Astra (Fierce Panda) 
Release Date: Out Now
Ah, the mighty Ash. Once pigeonholed as a teen indie sensation, now considered stalwarts of the UK indie scene with a global following - no reunion tours here, just keeping on keeping on. The Northern Irish trio's latest album, 'Ad Astra', sees them in fine form and rocking out with the best of them so let's crack on, shall we?
We get going with 'Zarathustra', a rock groove based around the 2001: A Space Odyssey theme which, frankly, gets the hairs standing up and juices flowing - what a way to announce yourselves!? 'Which One Do You Want?' is an indie jangle that will appeal to fans of the Smiths while recent single 'Fun People' brings Blur's Graham Coxon along for a tune that is part LCD Soundsystem, part Talking Heads, part Blur and a whole lot of Ash. The energy continues on 'Give Me Back My World' which isn't a future anthem for Brexiteers drunk on power but is actually a summery, 60s inspired indie-pop bop that will have you forgetting your woes.
I had to look up the meaning of 'Hallion' - apparently it's an Irish term for a useless or worthless person - but when set to a Redd Kross meets Rooney melodic structure it really doesn't matter. On 'Deadly Love' the three piece explore their darker and more experimental sides with a tune that rings out into the night sky in the hope that another species will hear it and come to rescue us. The cello-rich 'My Favourite Ghost' might be a sad and sombre number but it has the strongest markers of being a classic Ash song which is always good to hear. The energy levels sky rocket on the punked up version of Harry Belafonte's 'Jump In The Line' - surely an amazing live track - and then 'Keep Dreaming' brings the rock chug mixed with those trademark melodies.
There's a 90s grunge vibe to the guitars on 'Dehumanised' but with a modern twist as Tim Wheeler sings of floating off on "dopamine bliss". Penultimate track 'Ghosting' has a perky indie energy but it's album closer 'Ad Astra', with Coxon guesting once more, that provides the send off this album deserves with the nervous anticipation of astronauts about to jet off into the great unknown. This a trip of an album with twists and turns in unexpected places which is always brilliant but for a band who have been doing this for as long as Ash it's even more impressive - they've still got the chops to surprise and impress.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/ash
Live Dates:
20th October - Gigs, Sendai, Japan
21st October - KT Zepp, Yokohama, Japan
14th November - Shiiine On Weekender, Minehead, UK
15th November - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth, UK - SOLD OUT
16th November - Sin City, Swansea, UK
18th November - Boiler Shop, Newcastle, UK
19th November - New Century Hall, Manchester, UK
20th November - SWG3 Galvanizers, Glasgow, UK
22nd November - Bootleg Social, Blackpool, UK - SOLD OUT
23rd November - The Foundry, Sheffield, UK - FINAL TICKETS
25th November - O2 Academy, Oxford, UK - FINAL TICKETS
5th December - Mike The Pies, Listowel, Ireland - SOLD OUT
6th December - Spirit Store, Dundalk, Ireland - SOLD OUT
7th December - Róisín Dubh, Galway, Ireland - SOLD OUT
9th December - Cyprus Avenue, Cork, Ireland
10th December - Dolans Warehouse, Limerick, Ireland - SOLD OUT
11th December - The Academy, Dublin, Ireland - FINAL TICKETS
13th December - Ulster Hall, Belfast, UK
Ash - Upcoming live dates 2026
6th February - The Forum, Tunbridge Wells, UK - SOLD OUT
7th February - Junction, Cambridge, UK - SOLD OUT
8th February - The Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes, UK - SOLD OUT
10th February - Phoenix, Exeter, UK - SOLD OUT
11th February - The Trinity Centre, Bristol, UK - FINAL TICKETS
13th February - Grand Central Dome, Liverpool, UK
14th February - The Sugarmill, Stoke-On-Trent, UK - FINAL TICKETS
15th February - The Welly, Hull, UK
17th February - Epic Studios, Norwich, UK
18th February - Chinnerys, Southend, UK - SOLD OUT
19th February - O2 Academy, Birmingham, UK - SOLD OUT