Entertainment

Listen to this: Ash – Buzzkill

Ash have unveiled the first single from their new album Islands
Ash have unveiled the first single from their new album Islands Ash have unveiled the first single from their new album Islands

EVERYBODY knows someone who can destroy the mood in a room just by walking into it. If you don't, brace yourself – because it's probably you.

Ash's new tune Buzzkill is a short, sharp, sweary shock of pop punk goodness inspired by just such a vibe-busting character, enhanced by backing vocals from a pair of guaranteed real Undertones.

A canny 'back to our power-trio basics' manoeuvre, Buzzkill's two minutes-thirty seconds of fuzzy riffs, big hooks and bad words pretty much wipes the floor with anything on the Downpatrick group's last LP, 2015's Kablammo! and thus serves as a mouth-watering appetiser for their upcoming album, Islands, due out on May 18.


Rather excitingly, Ash's seventh full-length finds them back on their original record label Infectious for the first time since their 'final' album Twilight of The Innocents back in 2007, an indie rock homecoming that's surely on a par with Mudhoney's 21st century return to Sub Pop.

The trio are already playing the second day of the Beeb's totally sold-out Biggest Weekend festival in Belfast the week after the record comes out, but no doubt some 'proper' Irish club dates will soon be announced – perhaps alongside another new tune or two.

Keep your eye on the ball online at Ashofficial.com, on Twitter @ashofficial, Instagram @ash_1977 and Facebook.com/ash.

In the meantime, you can pre-order Islands right now in a variety of formats (including limited edition cassette) and packages via Ash.tmstor.es