Ashton Irwin Makes His Electrifying Solo Debut at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles: A Concert Review & Gallery

Less than 48 hours after the release of his second solo record Blood on the Drums, Ashton Irwin, best known as the drummer of Australian pop-rock sensation 5 Seconds of Summer, took to the stage at the mod-gothic Belasco Theater in Downtown Los Angeles to perform his first ever solo performance on 18 July. From Irwin’s powerful and passionate stage presence to the dedicated fans dressed in Blood on the Drums-inspired red roses and black lace, from signed show posters at the merch stand to the roses thrown onstage with attached notes of appreciation from fans, the Belasco was filled with tangible gratitude from Ashton and fans alike. A one-night-only performance from Ashton has been a long time coming– and he made every second of waiting worth it. 

From the moment the lights dimmed, Ashton had the room under his raw and rebellious spell, soaring through a revved-up rendition of “Straight to Your Heart” to open the show, before blazing through high-powered performances of most of his sophomore project. I’m endlessly grateful to Ashton’s team that I found myself in the photo pit during the opening of his set, and his intense magnetism with the fans was only broken in the moments when he ascended to another musical dimension as he stepped behind the drums, adorned with a bold-yet-understated “Ai” logo on their kick drum. Beams of pulsing red light spattered the Belasco as Ashton pounded the kit through “Breakup” and “BLOOD ON THE DRUMS.” Rocking smudgy black eyeliner and shedding his leather suitcoat to reveal a black fringe vest, Ashton embraced his new role as a solo frontman with the vigor and capability of a seasoned professional.

The view from the balcony during “I See The Angels” and “Lose You” was the best place to see the palpable connection between Ashton and the crowd below as he settled into the middle of his set. He simultaneously engaged with fans and belted out vocal lines with the precision of his studio recordings, further flexing his wings as a vibrant multi-talented performer. And while most of the setlist focused on the tracks from Blood on the Drums, the earliest of solo-Ashton fans were satisfied with performances of a handful of tracks from his 2020 debut Superbloom, including electrifying “Greyhound” and nostalgia-inducing “Drive,” which even had Ashton’s bandmate Calum Hood visibly bopping in the upper stage balcony.

From the moment he picked up an acoustic guitar to close out “The Canyon,” Ashton was entrancing in a more simple, unguarded way. He effortlessly created a shining moment in an unforgettable night as he stood under a single violet-hued spotlight, guiding the audience through an emotional, stripped-back duet to “California Holds Her Breath.” Even when the rest of the night's memories have dimmed, the simple power of the connection felt that moment is something I’ll still be able to feel.

After watching and admiring Ashton for the past ten years, it’s hard for me to articulate the feeling of sitting in the center of the photo pit as golden light filled the stage and he poured everything into closing out the show with reminiscent “Glory Days” and triumphant “Have U Found What Ur Looking For?.” It’s this feeling that is the magic that Ashton Irwin created in the Belasco – a place where every person, Ashton included, felt united by an existentialistic love for music and the people and memories it’s brought us. Maybe we should do it again, Ashton? 

REVIEW: Ashton Irwin's 'Blood on the Drums’ is a Reflective, Genre-Bending Masterpiece

This article is cross-posted on That Fangirl Life: https://thatfangirllife.com/2024/07/review-blood-on-the-drums-music-to-our-ears/

Ashton Irwin first made his solo debut in 2020, with his deeply personal, metamorphic alt-rock album Superbloom. Crafted in the uncertainty and isolation of the pandemic, Irwin explored an array of sonic textures and vulnerable subject matter on the project. Ashton is best known as the drummer of Australian pop-rock band 5 Seconds of Summer, and since Superbloom, he’s written and released 5SOS5, the band’s fifth studio album, and toured globally twice with the band. Almost immediately after getting off the road from the band’s 2023 tour, Irwin was itching to get back in the studio with both Superbloom collaborator Matthew Pauling and longtime band collaborator John Feldmann to create the next chapter of his solo career.

In just a few months, Ashton composed dozens of ideas, ultimately landing on the sixteen that make up his stellar sophomore solo project, Blood on the Drums. Released in two parts, Irwin released the first eight tracks as The Thorns on June 12, followed by the second half of the album, The Roses, on July 17 via AI Music Group and BMG. The record finds Irwin confident in his sound as a solo artist, pushing his pop-rock roots into a grittier, more reflective and magnetic dynamic.

Stand-out tracks: “Breakup” “BLOOD ON THE DRUMS” “The Canyon” “California Holds Her Breath”

My Favorites: “I See The Angels” "Lose You” “Indestructible” “Little Spark”

SIDE 1: THE THORNS

Expansive, acoustic-driven opener "Straight To Your Heart" sets the tone for Blood on the Drums with its captivating new wave-influenced production and light, poppy hook:“You’ll be my hero here in the dark/Saving my mind from ticking/Show me the way straight into your heart.” This track is on the lighter side compared to the rest of The Thorns but serves as a distinct transition from the sonic landscape of Superbloom.  “Breakup” is bold and unyielding, a clever, pounding justification for infidelity: “You say you got a lover/But you say I'm not like him”.  With Irwin’s deeper vocals repeatedly echoing "Breakup/Right now/You should be with me now" over a driving rhythm, this track begs for windows-down driving and steering wheel head-banging.

The project hits its stride with triumphant title-track “BLOOD ON THE DRUMS.” Sonically building upon a sound defined by Irwin’s own "SCAR" and "Greyhound," Ashton’s vocals shine brighter than ever before over a multidimensional drum pattern, exploring his greatest fears as someone who lives and breathes his art: “I’ve been holding on too long/Reaching out for what is gone/Will I stand or will I fall?/Will I make it out alive?/Will I ever learn to fly?.” Later in the track, the lyrical trepidation of “They say ‘slow down, give it up, give it up’/Don’t you dare listen, never giving it up” implies Ashton’s unyielding diligence in the face of doubt. 

Whether by accident or design, thrumming powerhouse "Indestructible" concludes The Thorns with the most addictive, unrelenting track of them all. Amidst the sizzling bass lines and dominating vocals, Irwin rises out of the ashes as formidable, electrifying, and genuinely indestructible. The pains and triumphs of the last decade of his career pulse through the larger-than-life production, complete with a satisfying crash through the glass as Irwin sings, “People don't ever believe it/Doesn't mean that you don't feel it/Looking up into ceiling/Trying but you're barely dealing/You're falling in love with the feeling.”

SIDE 2: THE ROSES

“The Canyon” is the most quintessential Ashton Irwin track, from its fantastically crisp instrumental production to its soul-baring lyricism, laced in hope for the future despite darkness in the past. And while Irwin’s unfathomable talent on the kit shines through as brightly as ever on “The Canyon”, the slinky acoustics that come to be trademark of The Roses side of the album make the soft “Now I’m coming out of the dark” coda ending of this track a stunning transition into the second half of the project.

The dark beauty of stratospheric “California Holds Her Breath” and light romanticism of “Wild Things” see Irwin experimenting with sonic illustration to intentionally evoke complex emotions, even when that means playing into the absence of his characteristic rhythm-based production style. The true gift of “California Holds Her Breath” is the vivid imagery dappled across its lyrics, with the choruses building in desperation from “I can see the future in these hills/And the glitter in your tears” to “I can see your heart reflected off that disco ball/Writing down your next confession on the bathroom wall.”

Nostalgic “Glory Days” and meditative “Endless Wave” round out The Roses with genre-bending explorations into sounds recognizable as respectively influenced by rock greats like Bruce Springsteen and Sting, while maintaining something that remains distinctly recognizable as Ashton Irwin. Perhaps that Ashton trademark is the profound gratitude for where he’s been as one of a band (“The world was ours to take/Our hearts will never break/Sounding like a perfect story/Of the glory days”) or the simple recognition of his individual humanity (“I love to watch the morning go by/It’s moving by so fast I could cry/You can’t resist the change/You surf the endless wave”), all wrapped up in dynamic, rich instrumentation that can only be achieved by a well-rounded artist who knows the power of his own vulnerability.

Blood on the Drums is a cohesive musical accomplishment for Ashton Irwin, masterfully documenting his sacrifices made in the name of art and the evolution of his personal strength. To the casual listener, Blood on the Drums is a rock-solid, addictive cruiser of an album, but to longtime fans of Ashton, it’s gratifying proof of his undeniable self-actualization as a solo artist.

 

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING: FULLY OBSESSED

REVIEW: 'Charm' is Clairo's Intimate and Timeless Coming-of-Age Classic

From her 2019 debut Immunity, Clairo has gathered millions of listeners who searched for a modest soft-rock escape. Finding her niche somewhere in the triangle between Phoebe Bridgers, Carole King, and Norah Jones, Clairo is an artist with easy confidence in her sound, lyricism, and vocal performance. Clairo marks her return with Charm, her third studio album and first album in three years-- and Clairo's timeless sound and a new sense of lightheartedness prove the third time's the charm.

Stand-out tracks: "Sexy to Someone" "Thank You" "Juna"

My favorites: "Nomad" "Slow Dance" "Add Up My Love"

The sonic landscape and thematic tones of Charm are established through prereleases "Nomad" and "Sexy to Someone." Clairo opens the album with an unpretentious hope for easy companionship while owning up to the fact that she feels a sense of freedom in her own isolation. Groovy percussion, sweet and supple vocals, and a refreshing lyrical quirkiness modernizes 70s-style soft-rock with an empowering female influence.

Despite its lightheartedness as a complete project that melts into its late summer release date, part of me wishes Charm had been released on the cusp of the fading of summer into fall; piano-guided "Slow Dance" is one of those tracks that fits the aesthetic of cozy wool and warm tones of the leaves. It almost mimics the changing of the seasons in its story of a relationship changing over time:"When the moon begins to hide/It's not over/And the window turnin' light/Does not mean goodbye." But it also sees Clairo accepting that change can ultimately result in demise: "And, too, when candles burn out/And the record is faded down/I know you've got people to turn to."

Sonically and lyrically, "Thank You" feels distinctly like a nod to Carole King's "Too Late." The track is simultaneously softly cheeky and vulnerable, acknowledging the role of relationships on the journey of self-discovery. One of those relationships being the one that has Clairo cooing, "I don't even try/I don't have to think/With you, there's no pretending" in "Juna." Simple and romantic, this is Clairo at her most sunny and laid back, complete with a stunning instrumental outro.

Dipping her toe into something poppier with "Add Up My Love," Clairo hides her exasperation and hurt in the aftermath of a relationship that went up in flames behind a blase vocal line: "If I could wait for a time/To be mad about it, mad about it/I'd choose a day when you're on your way/And I can say it all to your face." After the moody lull of "Echo," Clairo reminisces on a love in which she felt desired and safe in "Glory of the Snow."

The final notes of "Pier 4" draw the full scope of Charm together: "When close is not close enough/Where's the fun in it? And now I'm too tough/From close being just too much." From its rich instrumental cohesion to it's vulnerable and fresh storytelling, Charm is simple and timeless. It never really has a standout moment that attracts attention, but seeing as the album is an intimate invitation into Clairo's most human of dreams and desires, Charm settles right into the title of a charming coming-of-age classic.

AM I OBSESSED?

RATING: KINDA OBSESSED