Wishbone Ash - Coat of Arms (2020)

 

Six years after the band’s last studio release, 2014’s Blue Horizon, Wishbone Ash’s 2020 album Coat of Arms boasts the band’s first lineup change since 2007’s Power of Eternity. Longtime guitarist Muddy Manninen left for a solo career. Wishbone Ash’s Andy Powell, despite the interval, is no stranger to change. The band drafted Mark Abrahams as Manninen’s replacement and early returns, based on the band’s live gigs pre-COVID and this new release, reveal the band has scarcely lost a step.

Other changes are evident in the songwriting. Lyricist Ian Harris, a significant contributor to an assortment of Wishbone Ash albums, is absent for the first time in years. Despite the loss, Wishbone Ash remains an articulate and intelligent band who tackle their work with the same inspired engagement defining their “classic” material. There’s no question the band isn’t afraid of embracing recognized songwriting styles, but they do so with an individual voice honed by experience, talent, and personal conviction.

“We Stand as One” has a mixed effect as an album opener. Many listeners will wish the band came out of their corner setting a faster pace but quibbling with the song’s unifying sentiments is impossible and the song makes it case in language all their own. The song’s succinct central guitar melody carries the day and Powell glides through its vocal melody with relaxed confidence. It takes an unexpected musical turn during the song’s second half and the band stretches out with rewarding results.

The mix of the band’s classic twin guitar attack, traditional flavor, and progressive sensibilities are obvious during the album’s title track. Its lyrics adopt a grim view of the modern world many listeners will peg as reflective of these times when we wonder if the center will hold and Powell’s voice, still strong and expressive after many years, fills the lines with a vital spark. “Empty Man” is one of the album’s brightest lights. The steady engine room playing of bassist Bob Skeat and drummer Joe Crabtree gives the cut a fluid and flexible foundation, but the lead work during the track’s final half steals the show. The lyrics are pointed and spare its subject nothing.

“Floreana” is a beautiful gem in the tradition of Wishbone Ash ballads such as “Persephone” but never any sort of imitation. It has a sturdy narrative thread running through its lyrics and Powell’s singing draws out the possibilities present in every line. Once again, however, the chief strength this song builds on is the exceptional guitar playing laced throughout the track. Powell and Abrahams are a formidable pairing throughout the entire release and this is one of their high points. The fifth track “Drive” runs on a mid-tempo rock groove but there’s some stinging lead guitar coloring the mix and giving the song added bite.

“It’s Only You I See” is another high point on Coat of Arms. It is impossible, whatever you think of the comparison between the band’s present and past, to deny Powell and company reach a musical peak with this performance. It is more than an on-point composition and performance, however, as Powell serves up one of his best vocals yet. Powell and Abrahams’ guitar playing during this track is yet another highlight. “Too Cool for AC” has one of the raunchiest Wishbone Ash guitar riffs in recent memory and the band attacks the nasty edge with audible relish.

“Back in the Day” has commercial potential, for sure, and the band rocks out with convincing abandon. It’s a shrewd move underlining the muscular electric guitar with supporting acoustic rhythm playing, it fattens the overall sound, and the straight-ahead energy of the riffing doesn’t stick around long enough to wear out its welcome. Powell and his cohorts continue exploring a meditative vein with the track “Déjà-Vu” and embrace a more ethereal mood than any other song included on Coat of Arms. The light production effects applied to the presentation deepen its atmospheric allure rather than cheapening it. It’s the shortest track on the album, but few listeners will feel cheated.

Coat of Arms’ penultimate cut “When the Love is Shared” grabs your attention thanks to the steady climb it takes from the beginning. The four-piece builds dramatic peaks in the song’s second half many will mention among the album’s best moments and Powell nails a rousing vocal. There is a smattering of well-placed harmonies throughout the collection and their presence in this track is tasteful and effective.

“Personal Halloween” ends Coat of Arms in perhaps improbable fashion for some but Wishbone Ash has always packed the occasional surprise. The blues influences stamped deep into this track are a comfortable overall fit for the band and the inclusion of brass is a crucial curveball this late on the release. Let’s hope we don’t wait so long for the next album. Wishbone Ash’s latest studio release
continues a string of artistic successes stretching back into the late 20^th century and their creative energies show no sign of flagging. It’s more than a rock album, to be sure, but rates among 2020’s best rock releases.