Islands
by Ash
User Score
6.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 9
  3. Negative: 2 out of 9
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  1. Doof
    Jun 5, 2018
    1
    Just awful, I mean effectively they're half retired now, they know they're no longer chart botherers - so why so critical? I just found 'Islands' a desperate attempt, poor Ash, now is not the time to copy Arcade Fire. They've made a stab at 'Everything Now' when really they should have just updated everything from back then. Feeble.
  2. charliequaker
    Feb 23, 2019
    0
    9th album from this underrated Irish band led by the exceptional songwriting and performance ability of Tim Wheeler. There is probably no band better than Ash at creating epic power pop tunes. They know how to take a song, inject it with a hum-along hook and soaring guitars, and just make the melody fly! The undeniably muscular guitars explode with force & finesse, while sporadic keyboards9th album from this underrated Irish band led by the exceptional songwriting and performance ability of Tim Wheeler. There is probably no band better than Ash at creating epic power pop tunes. They know how to take a song, inject it with a hum-along hook and soaring guitars, and just make the melody fly! The undeniably muscular guitars explode with force & finesse, while sporadic keyboards weave swirls of bubbly excitement. Wheeler’s lyrics and voice are in perfect harmony with the compellingly reliable song structure. There are no surprises in the formula here, and that’s okay. When you do something this well, change is superfluous. Every single track here is a 5-star treasure. “Islands” is the consummate paradigm of the heights power pop can attain. No other band in the genre shines brighter than Ash. Highly Recommended.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. AllMusic
    Jul 17, 2018
    60
    Tim Wheeler--who produced the record on his own--is as much a craftsman as a songwriter, hammering out melodies and riffs, and his resulting tunes aren't fashionable, but they are sturdy.
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  2. musicOMH.com
    Jun 14, 2018
    70
    Islands will take a little longer to hit the spot. When it does though, it could well challenge some of their best efforts, even if their diehard fans fail to agree on first listen.
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  3. Drowned In Sound
    Jun 6, 2018
    80
    This is a slick, confident, emotionally mature and balanced album, crammed with zingers, from a band who know their territory like the back of their hands.
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