Ashtray Navigations is an English psychedelic rock/experimental rock/avant-garde/drone band that has been active ever since the early 1990s. They have released a huge number of albums through the years, and just a short while ago they came out with their latest album titled ''To Make A Fool Ask, And You Are The First''. As is usually the case with Ashtray Navigations then the album packs a mixture of psychedelic rock, drone, noise-rock and the avant-garde, while there are also some space rock influences thrown into the mix.
The album starts off with a track titled ''(Another) Hour Of The Grubber'' and it is a pretty awesome track for that matter as well, as it packs some meandering acid soaked guitar improvisation, as well as a fine bass section. The guitar improvisation on top of a rather distant sounding murky drum section works wonders in producing a surreal spaced out acid soaked dreamy atmosphere. Thus also making it the best track on this album. The second track on the album is titled ''A Crimson Coin'', and it again boasts some rather distant sounding echoing drums, as well as a low-end humming bass section that is accompanied by some improvisational electronics. All of this makes the track a rather surreal one once again. ''Bellow Organs Spine'' on the other hand has somewhat of a different approach as it mixes electronic music sounds with some guitar improvisation bits later on. This makes it into a rather acid soaked one again. The album comes to an end with a rather massive 20 minute long track ''Spray Two'' that starts off with some clear-cut semi-ambient space rock motion, only to move into a piano section soon after, and is accompanied by some rather ambient space rock sounds. The piano part stops around half way and is substituted with an electronic music bassline of sorts that moves the track into the realm of progressive electronics. All of this is however accompanied by some rather interesting guitar improvisation parts, making for some rather spaced out soundscapes.
What could be said about the album in general? Well the album definitely managed to surprise me in a positive way. The first track on the album is pretty awesome, and while the other tracks don't live up to that awesomeness, then they are still some very interesting experimental pieces that pack a rather fascinating surreal or almost schizophrenic eerie acid soaked atmosphere.
Some related links:
Bandcamp: https://blackesteverblack.bandcamp.com/album/to-make-a-fool-ask-and-you-are-the-first
