BLOOD ON THE DRUMS - Ashton Irwin (Music Review)

The sophomore album from Ashton Irwin, BLOOD ON THE DRUMS consists of sixteen tracks. The first eight tracks were released as an EP in June titled BLOOD ON THE DRUMS (The Thorns). I decided to wait for the full album to come out before listening - barring Straight To Your Heart which was the first single and The Canyon which is the first song of the second half.

Tracklist

Straight To Your Heart

The first single of the album. Really like.

Breakup

I like the muted vocals. It’s a bit of a return to the vocal sound from Irwin’s first album. But while Superbloom is a heavy sounding album, Breakup is, to me, a more mature version. It’s got some funky drums as well.

BLOOD ON THE DRUMS

The title track. I really liked the distorted voice in the opening. The drums during the chorus were good. Although, you’d expect the instrument that’s mentioned in the song title, the drums weren’t the main event.

I See The Angels

The guitar! I liked the quieter vocals of ‘I see the angels’ compared to the rest of the song. I really like this song.

Lose You

It’s got a fun beat.

Rebel At Heart

This is the title that gives me the most hope. It has a gritty voice filter. With a title like this, I want to be able to picture it over a cool montage scene or end credits of a film. While it’s definitely got a ‘cool’ vibe to the song, probably would only make it into an edgy character TikTok edit.

Last Night Of My Life

While a slower song compared to the songs that precede it, it’s not a slower song that I want to skip. I like the backing vocals in the chorus.

Indestructible

I love this song. I’ve added it to a very specific playlist of mine. This is a high energy song. It’s a fun song too. With this album being split in half, this song makes for a really good half way song.

The Canyon

The first track of the second EP. Listened to this one. I really liked it. Much like Breakup, it does remind me of Superbloom a little bit. It doesn’t sound the same as Indestructible which is good for creating a change between the two halves.

California Holds Her Breath

This song is a lot more acoustic than the songs that come before it. I liked the change of guitar rhythm just before the bridge.

Little Spark

I really like the way he sings Oxytocin and Serotonin in the chorus. It’s a good song and I like it.

Wicked Habit

I like the vocal filter on this song.

Marry You

The whistling on this song is nice. It’s an alright song.

Glory Days

I like this song. I can see it being a song celebrate the end of the year, or celebrating friendships.

Wild Things

Another more acoustic song. Also not as up beat as a lot of other songs that I like that have a similar title.

Endless Wave

There’s a voice filter on this song that reminds me of the ones used on Superbloom. I like that this song is slow and contrasts the high energy Indestructible that finishes the first half of the album off.

Final Thoughts

While songs like Breakup, The Canyon, and Endless Wave have echoes of Irwin’s first album Superbloom, BLOOD ON THE DRUMS is a really good album. I really enjoy this album. The only song that I would skip frequently would be Endless Wave. Most of the songs I quite enjoy with See The Angels and Indestructible straight away being some of my favourite songs. Little Spark is also one of my favourite songs off the album. Even the songs that I like, but not necessarily want to put on a playlist are enjoyable and I don’t feel the need to skip them.