Race the Night
| Race the Night | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 15 September 2023 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Pop-punk[1] | |||
| Length | 42:57 | |||
| Label | Fierce Panda | |||
| Producer | Tim Wheeler | |||
| Ash chronology | ||||
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Race the Night is the eighth studio album by Northern Irish rock band Ash, released on 15 September 2023 through Fierce Panda Records. It was produced by Tim Wheeler and received generally positive reviews from critics.
Critical reception
[edit]| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 69/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The Arts Desk |   [3] |
| Hot Press | 8/10[4] |
| The Irish Times | [1] |
| Kerrang! | 3/5[5] |
| Louder | [6] |
| Louder Than War | 4.5/5[7] |
| MusicOMH |  [8] |
| Uncut | 7/10[9] |
Race the Night received a score of 69 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on four critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[2] Uncut stated that "the teenage tyrants of 'Girls From Mars' fame may now be chasing the tail-end of their forties, but they've lost little of that youthful vigour",[9] and Classic Rock wrote that "Ash still put out heart and reliable joy".[2] Alice Clark of Louder found it to be "full of all the elements that have served them well since their formation back in 1992: crunching guitars, super-charged riffs, gorgeous pop smarts and lyrics for the most part that rejoice in being in a band and lost in music".[6]
Kerrang!'s James Hickie called the album a "sleeker and more adaptable vehicle" on which "there are heavy moments [...] but they differ wildly in their approach", concluding that Race the Night "deftly hit[s] all of the touchpoints that make Ash such a special band".[5] Louder Than War's Wayne Carey summarised Race the Night as "a heady collection of anthems [that] proves they still have it after 30 years of nuclear sound", calling it "an album of the year".[7]
Tony Clayton-Lea of The Irish Times opined that Ash have "stuck to the bones of the punchy blueprint with which we are familiar" and on some songs they "flesh it out even further with exceptional results".[1] John Walshe of Hot Press wrote that the "trio still know their way around a catchy hook" and "there's something wonderfully reassuring about the fact that 27 years after their debut album, Ash still sound like pissed-up teenagers crashing the party, and having an absolute blast".[4]
John Murphy of MusicOMH described it as "11 tracks of pacey, fuzzy guitar rock (with the odd ballad thrown in) but, sadly, the tunes aren't as memorable as of yore" and "weirdly dated".[8] Thomas H Green of The Arts Desk called it Ash's "most heavy rock since 2004's Meltdown" and "the best of it is an enjoyable romp[,] which is not to say that it's all loveable. Their trademark power pop harmonies are in place, but sometimes there's a polish to the production that recalls a poppier Bring Me the Horizon" that is "not appealing".[3]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Tim Wheeler.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Race the Night" | 4:04 |
| 2. | "Usual Places" | 3:38 |
| 3. | "Reward in Mind" | 3:49 |
| 4. | "Oslo" (featuring Démira) | 4:29 |
| 5. | "Like a God" | 4:14 |
| 6. | "Peanut Brain" | 1:39 |
| 7. | "Crashed Out Wasted" | 6:38 |
| 8. | "Braindead" | 3:19 |
| 9. | "Double Dare" | 2:51 |
| 10. | "Over & Out" | 4:41 |
| 11. | "Like a God (Reprise)" | 3:35 |
| Total length: | 42:57 | |
Personnel
[edit]Ash
- Tim Wheeler – vocals, guitars, keyboards, production, engineering
- Mark Hamilton – bass guitar
- Rick McMurray – drums, percussion
Additional musicians
- Keith Murray – backing vocals on "Reward in Mind", claps and shouts on "Braindead"
- Keith Carne – drum intro on "Reward in Mind"
- Démira Jansen – vocals on "Oslo"
- Sinfonia Nord – strings on "Oslo"
- Ilan Eshkeri – violin on "Crashed Out Wasted"
- Drew Citron – vocals on "Crashed Out Wasted"
- Andy Burrows – toms on "Braindead"
- Dick Kurtaine – scratching on "Double Dare"
- Simon Scheuer – claps and shouts on "Braindead"
- Julian Tepper – claps and shouts on "Braindead"
Technical
- John Webber – mastering
- Claudius Mittendorfer – mixing
- Graeme Young – additional engineering on "Usual Places", "Peanut Brain", "Crashed Out Wasted", and "Over & Out"
- Ilan Eshkeri – string arrangement on "Oslo"
Visuals
- Pete Lloyd – illustrations, Ash logo design
- Stuart Ford – artwork layout
- Steve Gullick – photography
Charts
[edit]| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Albums (IRMA)[10] | 60 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[11] | 3 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[12] | 14 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[13] | 3 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Clayton-Lea, Tony (15 September 2023). "Ash: Race the Night – perfectly shaped pop-punk songs few others can match". The Irish Times. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ a b c "Race the Night by Ash Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ a b Green, Thomas H (14 September 2023). "Album: Ash – Race the Night review – a pacey power chord frolic". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ a b Walshe, John (15 September 2023). "Album Review: Ash, Race the Night". Hot Press. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ a b Hickie, James (21 September 2023). "Album review: Ash – Race the Night". Kerrang!. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ a b Clark, Alice (12 September 2023). "'All the things that made me feel alive, still make me feel alive': Ash retain their infectious, joyous lust for life on Race the Night". Louder. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ a b Carey, Wayne (13 September 2023). "Ash: Race the Night – Album Review". Louder Than War. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ a b Murphy, John (18 September 2023). "Ash – Race the Night". MusicOMH. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ a b "Ash – Race the Night". Uncut. November 2023. p. 25.
- ^ "Irish Albums Chart: 22 September 2023". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 September 2023.