Undoubtedly, just about any female-fronted band of today will get compared to Paramore. This is by no means a bad thing, as Paramore are one of the biggest bands on planet Earth right now, but that’s beside the point. Ashland, the pride of Central Illinois, are clearly a band that stands on their own. Their debut full-length, Wildfire, is an impressive body of work for the band. There’s very little filler, to be sure, but the 10 track album is full of energetic synth-laden pop-rock tunes that are more effective when they are energetic. That’s not to say the more reserved songs (“Keep Moving”) are necessarily bad (Wildfire is a consistent record) aren’t worth listening to, but it’s tracks like the album opener “Lights Out” that channel early Icon For Hire and even a hint of PVRIS and Against The Current with their arena-sized hooks. Certainly good company to be in.
Ashland is a band that’s destined for great things. And much like their contemporaries, Wildfire‘s hooks sink their teeth into you, and it’s rather hard to let them go. This is infectious pop-rock at its best, and it won’t be surprising when this band is touring alongside some much larger acts. If you’re not a believer after reading this, you can stream the band’s video for “No Good” as well as the entire album below via Spotify.
