Never ones to shy away from a chorus the size of a modern ocean liner, Ash return to the singles chart with typical slice of hook-laden pop-rock littered with irritatingly memorable lyrics about, y’know, nothing in particular. You’d have thought, by now, Tim Wheeler would be singing like a man whose balls had dropped. ‘You Can’t Have It All’ dispels that idea almost immediately. The poor lamb’s going to sound like this ‘til Death comes knocking.
But if Ash were judged solely on the abilities of their vocalist then they’d have drifted off into the indie-pop ether long ago – this song, and many a single before it from the band’s strong back catalogue (Intergalactic Sonic 7”s is still great), sounds roughly a million times better when sung by a room full of sweaty teenagers… and a few strays who are probably old enough to know better. It will become a live favourite – every component is in place, perfectly. It is therefore, essentially, Ash by numbers, and the desertion of a certain second guitarist hasn’t detracted any from the band’s pop potency.
While ‘You Can’t Have It All’ certainly doesn’t make a case for us needing Ash around in this day and age, it doesn’t exactly have us wishing they’d called it quits at Nu-Clear Sounds either (although if that’d happened we’d never have heard the awesome ‘Burn Baby Burn’). If we had to pick a side it’d be for keeping the trio – after all, without them to remind us otherwise we’d probably wind up thinking Feeder are halfway decent.
5/10
It's a real shame, these guys seem just like they want to cling onto their careers and put together a 'radio hit' rather than actually make music that might be fun or enjoyable or natural. Am expecting that for the 2nd album in a row Charlotte's record is better. Maybe they can surprise me this time.
But...
for Ash, writing radio hits IS natural. It's what they're best at. And this is another great example of that.
this is the sound of Ash sitting on the fence
and they do it well! their excessively pop stuff = dodgy, and Wheeler doesn't have the voice for heavier songs.. so its worked out fine! :)
I don't like
the emphasis on us and we in the final paragraph as if your opinion of Ash is shared by us all. I for one DO wish they'd called it quits after nu- clear sounds, ok maybe after Free All Angels, But I'd certainly rather they were not here anymore.
hmmm
I simply do not care about Ash anymore and wont be buying this.
I thought this song was a bit MOR when I heard it and I think Ash are a good 4/5 years past their sell by date now.
You all suck
I think the new album is going to catch a lot of people by surprise, especially based on how the single sounds nothing like the rest of the album (from what I've heard of it).
Remember:
1977 - ACE
Nu-Clear Sounds - average
Free All Angels - ACE
Meltdown - average
Twilight Of The Innocents - you complete the sequence.
lol
You all suck! now listen to my point of view!
2/10
Unbelievable.
I like it
Especially the bit where they shout 'hey!'
not so keen on it
dont know what it is about it. its in a way, like they want to be teenagers again but cant be
It's one of those songs
that just sounds "nice" when you first hear it. Then it utterly knaws its way into your brain.
Tim Wheeler is a pop genius.
it's a bit average
and I love Ash. It has none of the songwriting spark that characterises their best work (see: almost all their singles before this one). I just hope the album's not as formulaic as this.
Have to say
it's the first Ash single I don't much like. I don't think it sounds like "Ash by numbers" at all. More like Muse, which is bad.
it seems like bands such as
Ash and Idlewild are just bands from most DiS writers' teenage years and so only get half decent reviews because of the nostalgia factor.
then again i've always found Ash exceptionally boring.
nah i don't think that's fair
i don't think anyone likes Idlewild anymore, do they? not even those with the nostalgia factor.
same applies to Feeder.
i agree.
they were boring and they still are.
This song is
Lame McLame!!
Sounds like a school band.
neecho
totally agree there - both bands had great starts but now plod along in an incredibly boring and unnecessary manner, i think a lot of people are giving them 3rd/4th/80th chances to 'get it back' when perhaps those chances wouldnt be given to other bands? or it could just be that i'm in a bad mood this morning.
Good pop song
I don't think Ash have released a bad album.
3/10
its dreadful. the chorus might be a passable ash b-side - but the verse is dreadful.
agreed.
the intro sounds like GBV's beefed up version of Game of Pricks.
How on earth can someone whine "when I get high you always bring me dahhhhhhn" and not be joking.
A welcome return
for Ash. I agree it is a little safe but none the less a worthy release imo and on previous works their new album deserves investigation.
it's biggest offence is...
...that it's just dull.
There needs to be a cull.
my biggest offence...
is writing it's instead of its.
ach.
I don't really like this song.
Oh well.
such a dull band.