ASHRR

Autumn is upon us, and with its arrival comes an unconventionally decadent - and truly dark - sound from ASHHR, an LA indie rock crew committed to taking the style of their 2019 debut Oscillator to the next level in the new single and music video “Waves,” their latest release. Though covered in a fuzziness that is synthetic and suffocating in a few spots, “Waves” is one of the more guitar-powered compositions I’ve heard from this band to date, and despite the uptick in similarly-stylized content out this September, it undisputedly feels like a one of a kind track from a one of a kind act. 

WEBSITE: https://ashrrmusic.com/ 

ASHHR primarily takes influence from the first wave of post-punk to arrive on American shores back in the 1980s, but theirs is a sound that definitely doesn’t exhibit any of that generation’s sonic sterility. “Waves” sees this band getting down and dirty with their grooves, channeling bits of Placebo and even a young Josh Homme, placing as much of an emphasis on the delivery of their beat as they do any of the melodic faceting beneath it. 

They’re getting as cerebral as you can be without straying into self-indulgent territory, and the result of their experimentations makes for quite the treasure in this studio cut. A visual treat of a video and an aural experience that I haven’t shaken from my mind since first hearing “Waves,” the most recent offering from ASHRR stands to bring them even more attention from the underground circuit than they were receiving beforehand this season. 

These Californians are breaking off some seriously impressive noise in this volume-focused performance, and if the song ends up being the cornerstone of a new LP, both their scene and those who follow it closely (myself included) are going to be better off for it. 

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Trace Whittaker

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

9/2020