Posted on: February 18, 2010 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

There is no time really to take a breath once Ash Gray and the Girls start up their “This Could Be A Wild Night”. This is due to the fact that the EP’s opening salvo, “Your Gun Is Out”, brings together all sides of rock and pop and places it front and center. Whether it be a nod to the Beach Boys, Ramones, or even sixties teeny-pop, the surprising thing about Ash Gray and the Girls is that their sound works perfectly in the current era. “Wild Night” is Ash Gray and the Girls’ blend of psychedelic and Mamas and Papas styles, with a little bit of hair rock thrown in.

The pomp in which the chorus is presented to listeners will hook them if “Your Gun Is Out” did not; Gray’s vocals even approach that of Tom Petty and Meatloaf here. Regardless, there is care taken to ensure that there are nods to current musical genres. The guitar work is nothing less than Vinnie Vincent quality, coming forth in an 80s-Kiss type of style. With another single under their belt, Ash Gray and the Girls look to take a different tack with “I Never Said I Love You”.

Allowing for a more stripped-down musical sound to issue forth, “I Never Said I Love You” will appease those fans of neo-retro acts like The White Stripes while still remaining germane to fans of the original style that Jack White cribbed off of. The EP ends with “Sunny Day”, a track that ties together 90s Britpop (Oasis, Blur) with acts like Herman’s Hermits and The Turtles. The EP format is perfect for Ash Gray and the Girls not only because it stokes the desire of anyone listening in for more, but that it resembles the 45s of the acts which were so influential to the creation of the act. I would like to see where the band goes in terms of a full-length album, whether they will continue to use the same set of influences or move on to the styles of seventies and eighties.

Top Tracks: Rules, Wild Night

Rating: 8.0/10

Ash Gray and the Girls – This Could Be A Wild Night / 2010 Self / http://www.ashgrayandthegirls.com / http://www.myspace.com/ashgrayandthegirls

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