(Infectious) **
When Ash told Isle of Wight festival goers that this would be their last album, almost-grown men were moved to tears for some reason. What Tim Wheeler meant was that this is their last album for a label - they plan to release by download from now on, with vinyl compilations to round it up.
So, for their parting shot Ash have served up a set of so-so power pop anthems based on '70s new wave and '60s mod-pop with rockin' guitar solos. It's energetic enough, but tends to thrash around wildly rather than pull itself into focus and attack the senses like we know Ash can.
Palace of Excess is hampered by lyrical cliché, but Polaris could survive and carve itself an anthem-sized niche in the live set.
Time will tell.
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