In 2009, Irish punk-pop trio
Ash ditched the album concept and began releasing a new single every two weeks, with plans to compile the songs into two separate packages. 2010’s
A-Z, Vol. 1 collects A through M, and the results are top-notch, blending gritty, lo-fi electro pop with soaring,
Franz Ferdinand-inspired dance punk.
A-Z, Vol. 1 is the work of a band that sounds like it's been rejuvenated, and while it presents a frantic, fairly schizophrenic vision, there’s a sense of boundless creativity at work here that suggests a wealth of solid future endeavors. ~ James Christopher Monger