Ashnymph’s Childhood EP is a fun goth rock dance

I have to thank my old friend and concert partner, Timfor turning me to this. Ashnymph is a London-based band that combines post-punk with Krautrock and industrial grime. Their debut EP, Childhood, oscillating between dreamy words buried in verb clusters and floor-to-floor dancing. It’s a fun opening track from a band that feels like it’s on the cusp of a big hit.

Childhood it opens with a swirling recording of someone walking down the hall (I think), and some synth noise from the first song, “Island in the Sky” starts off nicely with a motorik beat and a bass throb. The thin, digitally-edited music is a shrill noise, but the song’s big beats are reminiscent of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.”Everything Happened to My Rock and Roll.”

“Saltspreader,” the band’s first single, is next. It begins with deep metal that is sung and played by the drums, before a soft arpeggio brings the party to life. In the background, there’s a heavy-hitting, ’80s goth, driving guitar, and disco stomp. Although it was built slowly, it is clear why the team chose this one as the first one. It’s dark, dancing, and earworms.

“After Glow” leans more towards ’80 fetishism, reminiscent of Depeche Mode First serviceBefore Al Jourgensen got guitars. “47” marries industrial beats with chipmunk vocals and off-kilter guitars in the vein of No Wave acts like Swans. But the last-minute switch to half-time removes the most painful parts, letting the beauty of the guitar melody stand out while the ethereal vocals float above.

The last song, “Mr. Invisible,” is perhaps the most experimental of the group. It’s more clearly electronic than anything else, relying on heavily edited samples, obscure vocals, and a steady bass beat for the first chunk. At the end, the rhythmic melody and swirling guitar lines are played with polyrhythmic synths. The whole thing is confusing, dizzying, and fun. It ends slowly on the guitar and vocals, leaving me wanting more. Too many.