Free All Angels
	(Infectious/CD)
	Harry Guerin

After the by-the-numbers bluster of their second album 'Nu-Clear Sounds' (and the accompanying on-the-road burnout) it was debatable whether Ash would ever make it back for another roll of the dice. But three years later they stand tall, 'Free All Angels' every ounce as inspired and uplifting as its title suggests. Having lost their way in rehashed riffs and sneers, they've reclaimed their charm from the lost and found and come up with one stellar chorus after another, from summer fling sing-along 'Walking Barefoot' to the turn-it-up energy of 'Shining Light'. There's even some wide-eyed balladeering from Tim Wheeler on 'Someday' and 'There's A Star' to suggest that they're more keen to trade on future glories than past hits. A great singles band have just made their best album.