Carving out their own distinct sound and style as thoughtful songwriters and alternative rock musicians, Washington DC band Waking Stone release the riff-strong and heavily impactful Ashes to Ashes.
Married creatives Ashley and Jim Cash make up Waking Stone, a duo committed to the poetic and powerful exploration of concept by way of alternative and classic rock soundscapes and intense vocal evolution.
Ashes to Ashes encapsulates these qualities in a bold and memorable way, the verses first presenting a neo-folk softness, with beautiful guitar-play and a mild theatrical undertone, the hook then dropping in with a familiar repeating resolve and heavier dynamic; securing the song’s subtle earworm status.
We even get an unexpected guitar solo during the final third, suddenly not adhering to the harder rock implications but leaning more soulfully towards the indie bands of the late nineties and early 2000s. It’s a welcomed twist of musicianship, and when combined with the band’s clearly unique identity in everything from image to topic and structure, helps set in stone their recognisable and refreshing approach to modern music.
Balancing out the unexpected with the simple repeating chorus section helps reinforce the weight of Ashes to Ashes, its conceptual complexity suddenly replaced by the easy looping idea of Ashes to Ashes and Dust to Dust resounding in a way that’s accessible to everyone. The whole thing works well – I look forward to hearing more.
Photo by Mina Habibi. Find Waking Stone here or via TikTok & Instagram.
