Ashley Park
Town And Country
Kindercore
There’s no mistaking the reference points for Ashley Park. They may be contemporary musicians from Vancouver, BC, but they sound as if they could be in San Francisco, London, or New York in 1966-67. The first couple tracks on the disc strike chords and changes cribbed from the songbooks of the Zombies (circa. Odyssey and Oracle), the Buckinghams, or the Kinks (Village Green Preservation Society). Obviously that puts Ashley Park in company with the Lilys, Papas Fritas, the Ladybug Transistor, and the Apples in Stereo, to name a few. In fact, Terry Miles’ vocals sound so much like Apples frontman Robert Schneider, that you’d think this was a new e-6 band incognito. This is not meant to be disparaging. Quite the contrary, like fellow countrymen the Flashing Lights, Ashley Park pulls off the refried-mod bit with style.
Miles’ knack for crafting good songs is the band’s salvation. Miles is able to combine some of the best elements of indie pop with a genuine ear to the late ’60s. There has been some reaction recently to the diffusion of retro-tinged indie, but this should not detract from those in this camp that write well. In the end, if you don’t mind listening to music in the shadow of giants, then you should enjoy this album.
Kindercore Records, P.O. Box 461, Athens, GA 30603; http://www.kindercore.com
