The Ashley Stove - All Summer Long - Merge

Review by: Jennifer Perkins

The moment the opening track “Amen Grasshopper” starts, I know the Ashley Stove and I are going to get along just fine. The song is bright and clean, just the way pop-rock should be. Better yet, nothing seems forced, which is something so many bands seem to fall victim to. The catchy harmonized mid-tempo rock seems to flow naturally from Ashley Stove.

When you hear All Summer Long, don’t be fooled like I was into thinking you have uncovered some new obscure gem of a band. The gem part is right, but Ashley Stove have been around the block a time or two. Apparently, they have been around long enough to release 4 full-length albums (2 of which are on Merge), a gaggle of appearances on various comps and singles, a marriage between two members and a number of lineup changes.

As you might guess, Ashley Stove sounds like a lot of bands affiliated with Merge records, and North Carolina in general. No, they don’t really ‘sound’ like Superchunk (although 2 of the members are in Portastatic with Mac McCaughan) or the Archers of Loaf, but you can tell they are all from the same neck of the woods. Hell, the Ashley Stove contains original members of early 90’s bands like Erectus Monotone and Small; they helped create the sound we associate with that area. Bands in that college music haven have been paying the bills with that sound for years now, and Ashley Stove is no exception.

Lightweight catchy pop music always makes heavy rotation on my hi-fi. Perfect, thick hooks and a hint of retro. Well, more than a hint - there is a song named “Devo Freak”. The arrival of Ashley Stove’s latest release on my doorstep could not have had better timing or be more aptly named. Just as the name implies I have a feeling I will be spinning Ashley Stove All Summer Long.