8 out of 10I love A Sunny Day In Glasgow, how about you? Their debut album "Scribble Mural Comic Journal" was my #10 favorite album of 2007 and nearly every other b-side since then has been equally as lush, pretty, catchy, and anomalistic. It feels like I've been waiting forever for this release.. the wait is finally over though. The youthful curiosities of laid back Dream Pop that only ASDIG could give me are indeed back where they belong (in-between my headphones at full blast) only this time they are stronger, "cuter", and even more brilliant than before.
"Ashes Grammar" comes across as a lost manipulated cassette from the 80's. Over the years said cassette has collected dust, witnessed broken dreams, the souls of young teenagers in-love, and possibly moved from house to house. One day, you find the cassette. Naturally, out of curiosity, you will place the cassette in a tape player (assuming you still have one of those) and you will press play. Your entire life will flash before you're eyes, you're not about to die. You are reliving your memory through the distorted sounds of dusty tape. Many of the abundant noises/textures & layers of shimmery bliss are "retro" sounding. The album is very reminiscent of the early 80's New Wave scene up to the 90's Shoegaze scene. The "homage sounds" of Cocteau Twins, early 4AD, My Bloody Valentine, etc. are blended/updated quite nicely with the sounds of "Nu-Gaze" acts like Asobi Seksu, Mahogany, Ulrich Schnauss, etc. There are also lots of interesting "modern sounding" electronics added to the mix which ASDIG have always "tinkered" with, but on this release finally welcome full on with open arms. "Ashes Grammar" may also give you the feeling of being swept away to an "underwater dark dancehall". I feel ok classifying ASDIG as "Good Feeling Electronic Drone Pop". I also feel ok classifying this album as one of the best releases of 09. Well done ASDIG, well done.
This A Sunny Day In Glasgow doing what they do best, with a higher studio budget, a few new instruments/noises, and a "sparklier" sound. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Standout Tracks: All tracks bleed into each other, so rather than certain tracks I like certain sounds. But really, ALL TRACKS ARE STUNNING. Check out "Close Chorus", "Passionate Introverts (Dinosaurs)", or "Blood White" if you don't have time for a full length album..
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