Craving Rain – “Ashes”
Craving Rain – “Ashes” – Single Review
Jesus. Green light a song or two if they’re gonna sound THIS amazing!
So…you’ll have to forgive me here. At this point I’ve heard so many different possible dates for the next single by Craving Rain coming out that my calendar would just be a series of Xs if I crossed one out for another each time things got pushed back again. Word on the street at the moment, is that “Ashes” will hopefully arrive August 23rd – just don’t go quoting me on that, because that date has probably already changed. Quality takes time, as you know…and you’re not going to find me disputing that aspect of what I’ve got here on my playlists well in advance of its potential release date. As far as their strategy goes or what the heck the hold-up has been over the past four years, or what suits and ties are out there stopping them from releasing a finished song any ol’ time they feel like it…your guess is as good as mine would be – I have no idea why it has taken more than four freakin’ years to get some new tunes outta this duo. I’m living that life of luxury as a critic, so thankfully I’m not waiting any longer at this point – I’ve got “Ashes” spinning proudly on repeat over here…but the rest of you plebeians will have to wait.
Anyhow. One way or the other, the waiting is nearly over. I don’t know if there are many tunes out there in this world that I’m gonna say were worth waiting four-plus years for, but I’d reckon that “Ashes” is probably about as close to whatever that could possibly be. I’m completely stoked on what I hear in this track, and it’s clear to me that Craving Rain hasn’t lost a step & has continued to evolve in behind the scenes, wherever it is they’ve been. “Ashes” is full proof that they’re thriving at the top of their game – I’ve always loved this band and enjoyed their music without question, but there’s no doubt that “Ashes” has them sounding even better than they already have in the past, which is truly saying something. Tyrell and Jasmine of CR have obviously made a conscious choice to level up with this long-awaited, highly-anticipated release…and ultimately, I think this will be that extremely rare case of a band coming back from an extended absence to nothing but accolades, high-fives, and relentless cheers.
The work has definitely been put into making “Ashes” their most significantly potent song to-date – you couldn’t possibly miss the amount of effort & detail that has been put into this new single. Not only is it extremely well-played, balanced, and fiercely played with intent & purpose, but there’s a wildly tangible degree of uniqueness that should set a track like “Ashes” apart from the rest of what’s out there while still appealing to a widespread audience. That ain’t an easy task to pull off, for the record…”Ashes” shows they can fully push their music forward while not leaving any of their fans behind in the process, you know what I mean? Jasmine’s mysteriously melodic & unpredictably ethereal vocals are as enticing as ever, and the musicianship that Craving Rain has put into “Ashes” is straight-up spellbinding when it comes right down to it. Were this song to rest on the laurels of what it puts out in its first half before the most major transition it’ll go on to display, I’d still have been totally satisfied if I’m being honest with ya…but the fact that they’ve created these two monumental halves and that they both hit the mark for completely different reasons is an undeniable achievement that makes this track even more engaging.
Hearing Tyrell take a turn at the lead vocals was a great idea, and he pairs so damn well with Jasmine in the background…together, they crank up the heat on “Ashes” until your speakers will start to smolder. The guitar work is blisteringly hot, the drums are intense AF, the bass is boldly defined, and Craving Rain really threads the needle perfectly when it comes to the art of taking a really damn good song into what’s likely to be one of the most memorable you’ll hear in any corner of the scene this year. It’s a real case of a song that gets stronger with every spin, and has you appreciating all that’s gone into it the more that you listen…they’ve merged these two main halves of “Ashes” seamlessly, which results in a single that floats through its dreamy beginning, setting up its most explosive fireworks for the finale. I’d be seriously shocked by anyone out there feeling like this isn’t the best and the strongest we’ve heard Craving Rain to-date – “Ashes” is that damn great…and hopefully they won’t keep you waiting too much longer to hear it. I ain’t gonna lie to ya – I expected awesomeness from this duo, because they’ve given us every reason to believe in what they create from day one – but it was rad as hell to discover a single as powerful as this that exceeded every wildest expectation I could have ever had for Craving Rain. It’s coming out with full video support, where you’ll see Tyrell literally burst into flames in this scorching hot new single, with Jasmine playing the role of the guitar playin’ forest nymph we all know & love her for.
Fuck yeah! I’m genuinely ecstatic to see & hear everything come out this strong for them. The enlisting of Jackson Stokski on the drums was a great call, as was the mixing/mastering/engineering of Derek Martin too – all hands on deck have helped create one absolutely killer single you won’t be able to get enough of. So as the people say these days, LFG y’all! No more waiting…let’s get this out there into the world where it belongs, if only so we can get Craving Rain back on a regular schedule that won’t keep them hidden away for another four years. The ultra-intense sound of a song like “Ashes” should have this duo HUNGRY AF to keep the momentum going, and dying to keep the music flowing even harder from here. “Ashes” will remind their fans just how special this band truly is…and for those out there that haven’t heard them yet…find something to brace yourself with, because Craving Rain is about to blow the roof off of 2024 as they scorch the Earth with a single that will inflame your desire to repeat it.
Find out more about Craving Rain from their official page at Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/cravingrainmusic
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