Sift through A.S.H.’s acoustic vibe
The North Okanagan trio, A.S.H.’s debut CD, No Looking Back, is a refreshingly down-to-earth recording that is heavy on acoustic vibe.
The band (Ross Marshall, guitar, Dick Markin, guitar, and Gerry Brunelle, bass; all are singers) uses that quality to separate their sound from the mundane.
From the title track onward there is a firm connection to an early-‘70s singer/songwriter sound.
The group’s style has a melodic, country shade in the background and the acoustic presence brings out a muted lilt in the material.
The unaffected themes of the material are direct and simple: jobs (Shutting Down), homes (Little Prairie Dream) and community (Come Springtime).
The band’s persona and songs are candid and laid back and the acoustic frontline accounts for the vocal clarity and clean tracks. The trio harmonizes with ease and harkens back to a classic, acoustic rock era.
They dig further into their songs to write well-constructed guitar lines that ring through the songs. These ride above tasteful textures of mandolin and keyboard pads.
No Looking Back is an honest, easy-on-the-ears recording that is plaintive and extremely likeable.
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