Nassau

Do you ever get that lovely, fierce feeling when you’re walking around the city alone at night?… y’know, with the smell of rain seeping into your coat, wind currents blowing your hair every which way, the neon greens and blues of metropolis shops lighting up the streets… and then a sensation in your bones that you could take the world on – and win – at any second? If so, you’ll probably adore Nassau’s debut album A Fire In The Ashes as much as I do. This Toronto-based band (fronted by ex-Guided by Voices drummer Jon McCann) have created an album that heralds back to the days when rock n’ roll wasn’t afraid to be a little abstract, sleazy and crooked – and they’ve done it in such a way that it’s refreshing, turbulent and progressive all over again.

Opening with the trippy, dark instrumental “Hurdle The Sun”, Nassau sets the stage for the aggressively psychedelic album to come. I generally write-off instrumentals as wasted album space or filler, but the four found on A Fire In The Ashes (the aforementioned, “Vegas”, “In The Morning”, and “A Fire In The Ashes”) are gorgeously atmospheric and, I think, awesomely reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s More soundtrack.

Apart from the above mentioned interludes, Nassau also presents some seriously melodic and, dare I say it, catchy tunes on this album. “Falling Out” is languid, gloomy and utterly fabulous with its washy guitars and lazy vocals. The Jesus & Mary Chain/Spiritualized/Ride/shoegazer band comparisons could run rampant here, but I’ll pass that in favour of actually giving Nassau credit for their own creative merits when it comes to composing songs that are as structurally excellent as these.

The grungy shimmy of “Sick Again” couldn’t be any more fun, particularly when McCann spits out lyrics like, “I must be a real bitch for you baby” in a real tongue-in-cheek, defiant way. Switching gears slightly, “This We Need” and “Melody Sees” have a slightly lighter, more sensibility about them, though the swirling waves of psychedelia and grunge carry through regardless. Other tracks that share this semi-buoyancy are “Only Twilight”, “How Long?” and “Channel 4”, all of which are lovely and harmonious, yet still a bit roughed-up and feedback-driven, making for an ultimately thrilling result.

Another noteworthy feature of A Fire In The Ashes is the first-rate musicianship. There’s not one moment to be found where the band doesn’t sound totally cohesive, together and on top of things. “A Battle For You” exemplifies this with its tight guitar lines, unyielding drumming, and driving melody (which, by the way, will stick in your head for a week after hearing it for the first time). In my opinion it’s possibly the highlight of the entire disc.

There’s a wonderful momentum about Nassau’s songs, making every single instant on this album exceptionally listenable. And even though there’s a definite sleaziness that permeates A Fire In The Ashes, it’s the stylish, chic kind of shadiness that rock n’ roll of this sort should radiate (and by this I’m by no means implying that you get the feeling that Nassau have set out to make a ‘cool’ album here). The songs emanate an offhand, nonchalant, muted audaciousness, and it’s wonderfully obvious to the listener that Nassau really feel each and every lyric sung and chord played. In combining a darkly modernistic edge with the romanticism of 1960’s pop, Nassau have done something phenomenal here. Be warned and take heed… I expect they’ll be massive.  [ END ]

Track Listing:

01. Hurdle The Sun
02. Falling Out
03. How Long?
04. Sick Again
05. Vegas
06. This We Needpoll
07. Melody Sees
08. In The Morning
09. Only Twilight
10. A Battle For You
11. Channel 4
12. A Fire In The Ashes

Run Time: 55:40