Daniel Ashcroft - Album Review: Caramel Honey II: Ribbed For Her Pleasure!
Daniel Ashcroft is a multi-instrumentalist who played
in metal bands and released solo work during his mid-20’s, but stopped about
six years ago, with no intention of creating any more music. These songs started
off as tunes he would play with his acoustic, sitting on the floor next to his daughter
when she was a baby. That was more than three years ago, and part of the reason
it took that long is because he performed everything himself with acoustic
drums/percussion, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, vocal and a touch of flute. Of course,
the burning question for me was where on earth did the idea come from for the
cover? Apparently, Daniel googled worse album covers and went from there, and
it certainly fits in with that style, yet also fits in incredibly well with the
album as a whole.
Daniel describes the album as a mix between alt country and heavy funk, and it covers a whole series of serious subjects such as turning 30, rediscovering his sexuality, being a responsible adult, getting married, having kids etc. Yet permeating the album is a sense of humour and the knowledge that here is a serious musician, yet he is having a laugh at himself and enjoying what he is doing so everything is completely tongue in cheek. For me, the most important instrument on this album is the bass, which has a gorgeous tone while Daniel has an incredibly deft touch, and I could listen to this just on its own. But then he adds so many other styles and one just wonders what is going on. Take Ashtray Grin as an example, for the first 90 seconds it is an absolute delight, then we get some rap which takes it in a different direction and then we get some guitar and bass which shifts it off again. It is an irreverent approach which really works, and the important thing is to never take it all too seriously.
Go To Sleep Chi features an old recording of his daughter talking, and the acoustic guitar and flute which accompanies that part of the song is a delight. Then he turns it into a belter with riffed rock guitar before dropping back into something beautiful. This is an album which defiantly refuses to conform and consequently is out of left field, and to my mind is all the better for it. For people who want their music a little different to the norm.
About Daniel Ashcroft
The concept of my project is to basically explore and write music of any genre, play any instruments I possibly can - and collaborate with as many singers as I can.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Daniel Ashcroft
Releases
Other Reviews By Kev Rowland
07 Jul 2023 // by Kev Rowland
So it was down to Tuning Fork for the first night of the second Crushfest festival. Tonight was going to be Wellington and Auckland bands, and then some of the same will be playing at the second night in Wellington next month.
Read More...
Rain - Single Review: Love and War
15 Jun 2023 // by Kev Rowland
It has been quite a while since I last heard from Wellington-based singer songwriter Cathy Elizabeth, and back then Rain was seen solely as a studio project with Cathy being accompanied by Thomas Te Taite, who provided all the instrumentation including digital drums. Now they are a full band who have been performing live, and it is the first time they have recorded as such, with Thomas now, just providing acoustic guitar (plus engineering and producing etc.
Read More...
Lost Vessels - Single Review: All This Time
01 Jun 2023 // by Kev Rowland
I must admit I was not that impressed when I first saw Lost Vessels play at Crushfest, something they later admitted to me was the worst gig of their career, but since then they have improved in leaps and bounds. This has been noticed by others on the Auckland circuit as they are getting more opportunities with better support slots, and I was not at all surprised when they won the Ding Dong Lounge Battle Of The Bands in November last year.
Read More...
Unwanted Subject - Single Review: Sons of Savages
28 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
I have caught Unwanted Subject in concert a few times over the last couple of years, and while they have been getting better each time I have seen them, I must admit that nothing prepared me for this, which right from the off is a monster. I have never heard them quite this is aggressive, nor as polished, and this multi-sectioned single sounds almost like a different band as they have pushed their metal roots to the max in this metalcore beast which sees them mixing and blending different genres to create something quite special.
Read More...
Gig Review: Stray Dogs @ AUX, Auckland - 26/05/2023
28 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
So it was back to Ding Dong Lounge on a Friday night for one of their infamous Emo nights, which tonight was a three-band bill with Stray Dogs having an extended set, supported by Altaea and then up first we had Blindr, a band new to me. Blindr are a quartet featuring Bill Caldwell (vocals, guitar), Blake Woodfield (lead guitar), Jack Power (bass), and Charlie McCracken (drums).
Read More...
Gig Review: Turkey The Bird @ The Ministry of Folk, Auckland - 27/05/2023
27 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Back up to Auckland Guide Centre in Mount Eden tonight for my second consecutive gig (Sol suggested it was a turkey sandwich as I am at Vader tomorrow) to see Taranaki’s finest, Turkey The Bird at The Ministry of Folk. Before that we of course had Hoop, who are Al Baxter (vocals, guitar, harmonica, banjo, mandolin), Nick Edgar (vocals, guitar, ukulele, flute, harmonica), Emily Allen (violin, viola), Glenn Coldham (bass) while tonight Gary Hunt was filling in for drummer Rusty Knox.
Read More...
This Silent Divide - Single Review: Beautiful Creature
25 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Here we have the latest single from Wellington-based melodic hard rock quartet This Silent Divide, entitled Beautiful Creature. I really enjoyed their Tall Stories EP, and they played a great gig at Dead Witch towards the end of last year, and this would have been recorded at about the same time.
Read More...
Gig Review: Emily Rice @ Your Local Coffee Roasters, Pukekohe - 24/05/2023
24 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Earlier this week I had a message from Emily Rice asking me if I lived in South Auckland. When I responded I did, she asked if I would be interested in coming along to an event she was putting on in a coffee shop in Pukekohe to celebrate the release of her new single, Warenoa.
Read More...
Most Viewed Artists
Latest Galleries
NZ Top 10 Singles
- TOO SWEET
Hozier - BEAUTIFUL THINGS
Benson Boone - LOSE CONTROL
Teddy Swims - I LIKE THE WAY YOU KISS ME
Artemas - SATURN
SZA - STICK SEASON
Noah Kahan - END OF BEGINNING
Djo - LIKE THAT
Future And Metro Boomin feat. Kendrick Lamar - ESPRESSO
Sabrina Carpenter - WE CAN'T BE FRIENDS (WAIT FOR YOUR LOVE)
Ariana Grande
More Content on muzic.net.nz
Google Site Search
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report A Problem
