Forget the umbrage taken at how 5 Seconds Of Summer were constantly likened to One Direction in their early years, and just acknowledge that Ashton Irwin is now that group’s Harry Styles. Even if it’s not the cleanest map, the idea of ‘nominal breakout star via childhood classic rock’ is flexible enough to fill in any gaps, an ethos that feels proudly bandied around on Blood On The Drums. Compared to 2020’s Superbloom, an album with a frankly shocking amount of vision of its own for an inconsequential side-release from a pop-rock band’s drummer, Blood On The Drums is significantly more in line with the concept of rock and pop revivalism. Any uniquely Australian touchstones have been put out to pasture (as have the songs as truly terrific as Greyhound), and replaced by a more economical, battery-farmed form of nostalgia.
Well, ‘economical’ and ‘battery-farmed’ in the sense of Irwin’s reference points this time being more plainly reliable. Blood On The Drums actually does continue the non-commercial sprawl of Irwin’s solo work, as the resultant merger of two EPs without much of a set theme tying either together. Maybe the first batch of tracks is more explicitly rock-oriented while the second sees fit to dial it back further, though that’s not a hard-and-fast distinction. In truth, it feels more like an effort to make this more consumable for an audience who might not otherwise be versed in the multitudes of sound that Irwin draws from. If you don’t know classic rock, it’s going to feel more radically creative more often.
If you do, however, clocking on to some of the biggest songs and acts of all time reinterpreted through Irwin’s process won’t take long at all. Breakup is T.Rex’s Bang A Gong; Glory Days is Summer Of ‘69; I See The Angels is a roundabout take on The Police. They’re the most obvious ones, where Irwin riffling through his record collection is placed front and centre, as opposed to letting it stew into something more its own. But that’s also an observation rather than a flat criticism. There are close similarities, yes, but not pastiches, or even anything to suggest the viscous gloop of cynicism that often coats releases in the same ballpark. Maybe it’s a consequence of Irwin forgoing that commerciality of approach, and instead doing the unthinkable by giving these classic, omnipresent sounds a good revamp.
Again, nothing about even that is so far out of the realms of possibility that it’ll catch a seasoned listener off guard. More to the point, it feels like the inference of Irwin himself as one of that group, only with the means and clout to actually get his spin out there. He clearly knows what he’s doing, too, even outside of tighter replications. It’s impressive to see how far his creative breadth stretches, and the corners it’ll explore that other throwbackers would sideline. Marry You is the strongest example of that, wonkily sliding over a vaguely Latin rhythm that its horns, whistles and hothouse drumming amplify. In more largely recognisable climes, it’s just a good showcase of instincts overall, be that in rock on the title track, throbbing new wave on Lose You, or lighter, classically timeless pop-rock on Little Spark and Wicked Habit.
What consistently impresses about Blood On The Drums is, despite how firmly in place its ceiling is, that never seems like a hindrance. It’s a strong run when Irwin only begins to run out of steam on the final two of these 16 tracks, a couple of placid, subdued numbers that have things peter out, albeit far less harshly than it could’ve otherwise. Beyond that though, the tight, little creative engine that keeps Blood On The Drums going really does a good job. You could focus in on how Irwin’s drumming is yet again more detailed and flavourful than it needs to be, or how this is a surprisingly grounded production job from John Feldmann, miles away from his worst astroturfing impulses. Or you could simply appreciate the whole, and how far it rises above thanks to some well-placed effort and attention.
It’s a stupidly obvious concept, and will no doubt infuriate the purists at how it took the drummer from 5 Seconds Of Summer to get there. But when even that band has showed sparks of inspiration far removed from chides of teen-pop bubblegum, maybe it’s not too shocking. After all, there’s precedent. Look at Irwin’s last solo album; this is clearly something he knows and cares about, if Blood On The Drums on its own doesn’t make that abundantly clear. It does, for the record; this is far past mere ‘member-fodder and into the space of building a genuinely robust catalogue for him. And just like Harry Styles before him, who’s found himself heralded as a superstar for all ages through similar means, Irwin’s unwillingness to be pigeonholed or tied down proves as advantageous as you like.
For fans of: T.Rex, Harry Styles, later Panic! At The Disco
‘Blood On The Drums’ by Ashton Irwin is out now on BMG.
Words by Luke Nuttall
Well this is the most impressively backhanded review I’ve ever read.