Daniel Ash

Album Review

Once he broke up Love & Rockets in 1999, Daniel Ash traded in his guitar for a drum kit and some technics and didn't look back. The success of the Bauhaus reunion the year before didn't tempt him either, for Ash was yearning to make himself a song. His self-titled solo debut, which took two years to make, embraces a newfound freedom and a carefree musical disposition. His appreciation for techno and electronica is fresh and eclectic, but he couldn't disregard his maddening guitar skill altogether. Daniel Ash is a hypnotic whirlpool of distorted licks and vocals and Ash's own take on dance music, without being over the top. First single "Spooky" struts with a lazy riff and sultry sotto voce vocals plucked from the Classics IV's own hit of the same name. "Hollywood Fix" is a funky mix of sassy dance loops, whereas "Mastermind" transcends into psychedelic clubland. The quiet tempo of "Kid 2000," which features Ash's nephew reading in the background, is chilling. The switch-up is refreshing; however, Ash isn't inventing anything new. He was always a brash sort of artist, so the confidence is there. Fans might take a liking to his chic new style — Love & Rockets' final album, Lift, was shaping up that way.