Review: Sean Ashe – Spark Under Water

Style: progressive rock, jazz fusion (instrumental)
Recommended for fans of: Nick Johnston, Marco Sfogli, Owane, Arch Echo
Country: United States
Release date: 18 June, 2024

Sometimes I think everybody in the prog scene heard Plini recording djent out of his bedroom in 2012 and decided “Yes, this is the pinnacle of musical expression and all instrumental music should sound like this now.” The resulting obsession with solo guitarist acts plagues every tier of the new releases list, from our fiefdom here in the underground to guitarists from major bands striking out on their own, like Haken’s Richard Henshall. At least Sean Ashe recognizes that turning up the “jazz fusion” dial a little bit helps to differentiate his music from the rest of his cohort, matching Joseph Stevenson’s approach in spinning off his Regressor side project. Make no mistake, though: Spark Under Water represents yet another album cast from the same tired, overused solo-guitarist mold, and has not come out better for it.

Don’t get me wrong, Sean Ashe himself does not lack in the department of guitar-playing chops. The problem instead lies with the three nigh-indistinguishable opening tracks of this album, which (despite a bevy of guest artists adding accompaniment on all kinds of instruments) fail to present anything more interesting than “guy plays guitar good.” And while he does indeed play it good, the single-minded composition does the guitar part no favors, flattening its presentation against the blank background and robbing the performance of its virtuosic flair. This style of straightforward, even-tempo jam favored by other virtuosic solo guitarist acts such as Nick Johnston (among others) puts me in mind of a road trip across the USA: flat landscapes, open roads, an old but dependable car with the windows rolled down, and classic rock blasting on the radio. To be honest, I’m not sure where this image comes from—possibly the album cover of Marco Sfogli’s Homeland—but it also works as a metaphor for the content that inspired it: classic, idealized, and romantic, but ultimately flat and overlong.

Opening with “Ocean,” we’re treated to an inoffensive but equally unexciting blend of lightly-distorted guitar and lively but straightforward drums, broken only by small touches of synth and harmonica as we move into “Tangerine Dream” and “Yeehaw.” Even those guest appearances, plus guest guitar soloist Spiro Dussias to cap off “Yeehaw,” can’t break the stupor and assemble anything especially exciting or memorable. All throughout these first three tracks, I can think of hardly a single moment that stands out as excellent or marks a defining feature of one track or another; it all just blurs together as ten minutes of the same guitar tone, the same bland rhythms, and the same sweet, empty mood with no emotional power behind it.

Spark Under Water mercifully shakes off its monotony in the second half, beginning with “Conquerer.” This breakout track completely steals the show, demonstrating the power of the ensemble and how Sean Ashe’s clever guitar playing can shine brightest with proper backing. From the careful buildup of atmosphere with rhythm instruments, backing guitar, and saxophone to the screaming guitar solo, every element falls perfectly into place. It’s honestly so strong that I can’t help but wonder: what happened with the rest of the album? Naturally, taste is subjective and creativity can’t be forced or made automatic, but it’s incredible—as in, I literally have a hard time believing it—that with so much talent on display for this one track, more of it didn’t find its way into the others. The immediate followup “Between Worlds” comes the closest to matching the high water mark, but even with another round of admirable performances and composition juxtaposing the ever-expanding rhythm section against Sean’s leading melody and solo effort, something in the secret spice gets left behind in track four. The closing track “Nova” even gives the band another stab at the lead-guitar-heavy formula that dominated the forgettable first half, but despite the infusion of brilliance still lingering from “Conquerer,” the closer manages only an improved version, not the idealized result that came before.

Despite being the namesake, headliner, and a talented musician himself, Sean Ashe is hardly the number one draw of Spark Under Water, and he shows his talents best when accompanied by other equally talented performers who can lend their combined strengths to the final product. The album’s first half, more solely focused on the man himself, undercuts itself with such limited attention; the more the later tracks embrace the ensemble effort and the available wealth of guest artists and instruments, the more the whole production shines. When the spotlight shines too directly on one musician, though, that vibrant background falls away, leaving only a flat approximation.

Recommended tracks: Conquerer, Between Worlds, Nova
You may also like: Regressor, Brian Maillard, Sam Birchall, Fifth Quadrant, Dorian Lynch
Final verdict: 5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Official Website | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Independent

Sean Ashe is:
– Sean Ashe (guitars, bass, piano, ebow, accordion)
– Andreas Sjoen (drums)
With guests:
– Juice Lee (horns and woodwinds, “Conquerer” and “Between Worlds”)
– Spiro Dussias (guitar solo, “Yeehaw”)
– Håvard Henriksen (bass, “Between Worlds”)
– Paul Infantino (harmonica, “Yeehaw”)
– Matt Hopper (choir/labrie , “Conquerer”)
– Mike Ashe (keyboards/synth, “Tangerine Dream” and “Yeehaw”)