At the ripe old age of 22, Ash's vocalist-guitarist Tim Wheeler and bassist Mark Hamilton prove they are wise beyond their years by trying not to be. The songs on Nu-Clear Sounds grab ideas from the louder end of the Britp... more »op spectrum. About half resurface Teenage Fanclub's grubby guitar noise, while the cleaner tracks were definitely written with Blurry vision. Still, the power-pop elements are borrowed from the west end of the pond: producer/Garbage member Butch Vig works his alt-indie alchemy on the first three tracks--wham-bam glam rears its glittery head on "Jesus Says" and the thrashing and banging about of "Wild Surf" meets quaint sing-along harmonies. On the grittier side, "Numbskull," cranking out monster chords and spewing scaly vocals, could pass for a Pixies B-side. Same goes for the searing "Death Trip 21"--imagine U2's "Bullet the Blue Sky" if Korn had thought of the song first. So, are these young 'uns rip-off artists? No way. Ash's originality springs from their ability to listen, learn, and rewrite the lesson with the ink of their own intensity. --Beth Massa« less
At the ripe old age of 22, Ash's vocalist-guitarist Tim Wheeler and bassist Mark Hamilton prove they are wise beyond their years by trying not to be. The songs on Nu-Clear Sounds grab ideas from the louder end of the Britpop spectrum. About half resurface Teenage Fanclub's grubby guitar noise, while the cleaner tracks were definitely written with Blurry vision. Still, the power-pop elements are borrowed from the west end of the pond: producer/Garbage member Butch Vig works his alt-indie alchemy on the first three tracks--wham-bam glam rears its glittery head on "Jesus Says" and the thrashing and banging about of "Wild Surf" meets quaint sing-along harmonies. On the grittier side, "Numbskull," cranking out monster chords and spewing scaly vocals, could pass for a Pixies B-side. Same goes for the searing "Death Trip 21"--imagine U2's "Bullet the Blue Sky" if Korn had thought of the song first. So, are these young 'uns rip-off artists? No way. Ash's originality springs from their ability to listen, learn, and rewrite the lesson with the ink of their own intensity. --Beth Massa
"After the number 1 hit, `1977', Ash follow up the catchy and infectious debut with a less immediate but more rewarding - 'Nu-Clear Sounds'. From the opening blast of `Projects' until the gentle and Velvet Underground alike `I'm Gonna Fall' the album displays considerable progress since Ash exploded on the British rock scene. With a lack of hit singles, which `1997' had in spades, 'Nu-Clear Sounds' is more a proper album although not as successful commercially. Highlights are `Folk Song', a sweeping ballad, which thankfully is not in a "Bon Jovi-style" and `Numbskull' with it's roaring intro. With less patchy moments than `1977' and a rock sound owing more to the likes of Iggy Pop and the Velvet Underground than modern day comtemporates, Ash deliver a solid if not groundbreaking follow-up."
Best ash album
Jeans Yoder | Yoder, KS | 09/02/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"the only way i found out about this band is from the burn baby burn video played on mtv2. i thought it was pretty catchy. i went to the store to pick it up, but only found nuclear sounds. i went on a whim and bought it. little did i know on how much as was going to like it. "burn out" is the best song in my opinion. everytime i listen to it i feel like i'm in another zone almost. it's incredible.others that are good include, "jesus says", "aphrodite", and "low ebb"ash is sort of a mix between oasis and radiohead. if you like just good old alt rock, or brit rock for that matter, give ash a try. i suggest you get this album first though. i recommend this over 1977, b/c i feel it has more substance, although not the singles. ..."
Why isn't this more popular?
Blackberries | PA | 06/16/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"In my opinion, Nu-Clear Sounds is way better than Free All Angels and Trailer, and it's as good as 1977. Tim Wheeler's songs on Nu-Clear are generally similar to those on 1977, but there are less really hard rocking tracks on Nu-Clear, which I think gives it a plus. However, Nu-clear gets a minus in the classic song category. A few tracks on 1977, namely Angel Interceptor and Kung Fu, are spectacular songs. The songs on Nu-Clear Sounds are all very good, but none great. Still, why this cd gets less attention than any of the other three ash albums, I'll never know. Wild Surf, Folk Song and Jesus Says are my three favorites on here. If anyone is considering buying this cd as an introduction to ash, I would probably recommend otherwise and advise you to buy 1977. For any ash fans, this is definately a must have. There are lots of worthwhile songs on here in standard ash rock style."
This is Ash's Pinkerton
sunnyskies198 | Boston, MA, USA | 10/02/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album is great in my book. Then again, all Ash albums are. But that's beside the point. This album got horrible reviews just because it wasn't a "1977" carbon copy. It's not fair, this album has some incredible songs on it. Jesus says is an incredibly catchy song, and just like on "Free All angels" and "1977" they're the type of songs you get stuck in your head for weeks but don't mind because they're so good. Please, pick up this album and give it a chance!"