Buddahead - Ashes

Genre pop Publisher Fear Of Cheese Music

The band is Buddahead, the album is Ashes, and the music is the kind of artistry that floats itself along a passionate sense of self containment.

Recorded in the wake of the band’s freshmen effort Crossing the Invisible Line, Ashes is the inspirational adventure of songwriter Ramen Kia’s ever maturing accounts of his youth. Born during the turmoil of a disheveled Iran, Kia’s music is continual evidence of the power of expression. Along with members Simon Gibson and Toby Ever, Buddahead’s Ashes has something that most of us find relatable.

Like a cloudy day, ‘Ruin’ begins the album with a somber style that will leave you pale in the face. Kia’s vocals sound weightless, creating an interesting contrast with his more grounded message; because the timbre is consistent however, the song progresses nicely with each individual stride onward. One of Ashes’ more beautiful tracks is its 7th greeting called ‘Rescue Us’. This song is close to the chest and is a poster boy for the album’s theme.  It varies from the album’s other takes every so slightly because it is aloof yet comfortably spectral.  Made from mostly acoustic strings and the right effects, Ria leads ‘Rescue Us’ to a place where you may be saved.

My favorite track from this album is ‘If I tried’. Not because it is anything musically exceptional or appealing but because of the way its contour seems to progress around all the right notes. It’s a simple song of motivation. It’s memorable and it’s motivating, it’s a beat, a melody, and a message that fire with the right kind of harmony.

This album is not without its faults. Ashes is at times lacking individualism and at other times over doing it. Undoubtedly the stories and the maturing tones from Buddahead are appraisable, but by the end of Ashe’s you may not be sure as to whether or whether not you’ve heard an album like this before. It does not sell itself completely because it too often straddles the places that other musicians have been before. Now some people may like that kind of teetering familiarity but from a critical perspective, its one way or the other.

Overall, Ashes’ is a good record from musicians who seem to have a good grasp of opaque sounds. It only disappoints because it lacks complete identity, although it is capable of it; thus is certainly not the best work from these extraordinary talents. Buddahead can be proud of this sophomore effort but they shouldn’t call it a careers’ achievement either.