Crosses of ash | goddess
Message from the Artist:
“Crosses of Ash is a transatlantic duo blending alternative, trip hop, and indie into something raw and intimate. Their songs explore loss, devotion, and spiritual tension, carried by vocals recorded entirely in a parked car. One member is in the U.S., the other in England—they’ve never met, but the connection runs deep. Through distance and stillness, they create music that feels both sacred and personal.”
Artist: Crosses of Ash
Reviewer: Dee
Song Style: 2025, dream pop, padded vocal, harmonies, acoustic treatments and lyrical drama
Well, I can understand now where the band name came from. That’s a good start. GODDESS is the fifth song on an EP created by two musicians, a car interior and, hopefully, a good land line internet connection. However they recorded these songs, ‘GODDESS is a modern synergy of hard, cold tech and soft, warm inspiration. Ashley Cole and Sydney Cross make it work over the wire.
One of the voices on the recording has an Ann Wilson range with some serious pipes and stamina. I’m going to put myself out on a limb here and say there was limited vocal treatment on the lead singer. Which is a good thing, considering the longevity of bands, if you can do it without the aids chances are you’ll last longer. And she can. If she is. I don’t want to know.
Descending on the minor is always a good choice for grabbing this listener’s attention, with a combination of pads and vocal combinations. GODDESS has this covered. The song breaks down into verses, a single chorus and various interludes. Each is approached with enough distance to give the sonic rush some weight. At times there is creeping noise, perhaps some over compression that interferes with the ends of phrases, usually at a lower frequency but being a fan of noise, lo-fi recording and garage rock this is perfectly acceptable to me.
The song drops echoes of quite a few genres, even spots where there is an acoustic country influence. It resonates humbly through the waves of converging vocal and synth pads. It’s a neat trick. The traditional instruments complement this mostly electronic arrangement and they are elegantly pieced together within, about and around the more ethereal elements.
The lead vocal fits the music and the lyrics. Singing the lines carefully to find and punctuate the lyrical effect, the singer knows her topic and sings confidently and sweetly. She sounds in touch with her material. Another voice I hear ‘coming from the clouds’ creates a call and response which leads the listener easily through each section of the loose narrative, but relatively tight musical structure.
This song walks in the garden of the Elves. The instrumentation and vocal create a space that together, invite the listener to inhabit and absorb the music on their own terms. I listened easily three or four times. When it’s time to plug in to a thoughtfully delivered message of love and peace, check out Crosses of Ash. They know how to walk in the garden.
Check it out on Spotify
Reviewed by: Dee
single: Goddess, releasing 01-06-25
Source: Mail Request
Website:
Song Writer: Sydney Cross
