Equally at home staring out from the covers of Smash Hits, Boyz or Kerrang!, Ash have managed to straddle the heart-throb/pop-kid/rock-beast horse with aplomb. Mark with his debilitating fondness for Star Wars and Weezer, Rick with his 'interesting' hair, Tim with his pout-friendly looks'n'hooks and the equally foxsome Charlotte giving the boys some feminine panache - and she could still probably drink them under the table too. They may have restled with a-levels, breakdowns, Westlife, a copious intake of vodka and a near fatal bus crash to come out smiling, but when the result of such antics is this marvellous, you have to wonder if there's anything that can stop them now.
Initially, Ash rocked like a baby Dinosaur Jr - heads down, all out pedal-attack rock, with a canny knackfor pop. Now, some seven years on and a handful of stylists later, they've turned into one of the best bands of the Britpop era - play 'Burn Baby Burn', 'Girl From Mars' or 'Oh Yeah' alongside recent mid-to-late nineties collections, you'll soon see why.
'Kung Fu' is a Ramonesin' black belt belter, 'Goldfinger' shimmers like no other (ever fallen in love with a shimmer? - I'd recommend it), the Dre/Scott Walker-esque beauty that is 'Candy', the Velvety we're-old-enough-to-drink chug of 'Jesus Says', the almost Christ-like 'Shining Star', - they're all here, inspiring a whole host of lesser bands to hack off their right arms just to be in the same postcode as these stunners. Even the less remembered singles such as film theme 'A Life Less Ordinary' - the best thing about that whole wretched affair, the semi-autopiloty 'Angel Interceptor' and dirty porn-up of 'Numbskull' - are as welcome as old friends armed with rucksacks of fun only can be.
'Intergalactic Sonic 7's' is just the halfway point - new single 'Envy' is no throwaway new track filler - and whilst the rest of their peers may have split or given up being any cop, Ash sound like they're only just getting into their stride.
The most 'up and at 'em, buzz-pop hit-attack ever.
