ASHTON IRWIN - BLOOD ON THE DRUMS
Four years since the release of his dynamic debut Superbloom, Sydney singer-songwriter and drummer Ashton Irwin makes his long awaited return to solo music. For the past decade, Irwin has toured and released music with 5 Seconds of Summer, and his second solo record Blood on the Drums is a reflection of life on the road, and away from it.
The 16 track release takes listeners on a journey of reflection and revelation. Released in two halves, The Thorns (Side 1) and The Roses (Side 2), Ashton makes this lengthy album much easier to digest. While this is clearly a poignant and personal production, there is an innate attention to detail, yet keeping these details open to interpretation. It’s up to fans and future listeners to decide for themselves what is meant by thorns and roses.
Produced alongside friend and fellow musician John Feldmann [Goldfinger], Blood on the Drums collects and celebrates the fluctuating highs and lows of life, with changes in genres and styles to fully conceptualise this. Much like his work with 5 Seconds of Summer, Ashton himself has explored his music tastes and genres that present familiarity to coincide with raw lyricism. This new record demonstrates and “draws on a different form” of Ashton’s songwriting skills. However his way of portraying thoughts and themes is just as impressive.
With a range of “infectious 80s-tinged anthems”, and “barbed rock anthems”, there is something for everyone. As you listen, it’s difficult not to notice choruses that may get stuck in your head. Tracks like ‘I See The Angels’ and initial tune ‘Straight To Your Heart’ both contain a level repetitiveness that keeps them catchy, captivating and memorable. Latter track ‘Straight To Your Heart’ is also an optimistic opening to Blood on the Drums. Easy listening, upbeat undertones and paying homage to his new wave heroes are elements that give this song, and the entire album, a unique charm.
Irwin wasn’t afraid to switch between tempos and moods. Atmospheric anthems is something Ashton is no stranger to being part of. ‘Lose You’ is exhilarating, exciting and will definitely provide an electrifying experience when played live. Another big song from Blood on the Drums is ‘Indestructible’, the song that seems to stand apart from the other songs in a league of its own. ‘Last Night Of My Life’, however, is a ballad with a breeze swaying through it, giving a more gentle momentum and balance.
Leaning into a slightly more theatrical and envigorating side, songs like ‘Breakup’ and ‘Rebel At Heart’ sound like something plucked straight from a movie soundtrack or live musical. ‘Breakup’, especially, is a song that fuses vibrancy with vulnerability. Riffs and it’s bright sound accompany the tender theme of longing for someone who we can’t have.
To begin with, Blood on the Drums was a project between Ashton Irwin and Matthew Pauling, the tremendous talent accompanying Irwin with the production of his debut record Superbloom. Before collaborating with Feldmann on the rest of the album, Irwin and Pauling created ‘Breakup’ and ‘The Canyon’. Below a bright and summer feel lies another vulnerable side. The all too familiar theme of suicide and mental illness, particularly with men, is something featured heavily throughout this track. The merging of messages in each song is something Irwin has mastered meticulously.
For those who enjoy easy listening tracks with hints of rock and new wave, final track ‘Endless Wave’ is perfect for you. It is the longest song on the 16 track record, at just over five minutes, resonating the mood and method of groups like Pink Floyd. The arrangement is an amalgamation of hollowness, echoes along with an element of simplicity. It provides an insight into Ashton’s thoughts and mindsets and how he navigates them through “endless change”, and “endless resistance”.
Blood on the Drums is a remarkable record. With 16 songs in total, it will be surprising if you do not find at least one song you love. Ashton Irwin has brought fans new and old into his mind and thoughts, a vulnerable yet very strong thing to do. Laying things out and presenting nothing but honesty in his work is refreshing, and there are no false securities. Blood on the Drums welcomes you on a musical escapade that you’ll leave feeling a little more enlightened.
Morgan Hermiston
★★★★★