It was recently pointed out to me by two nefarious, mean-spirited chicks (who shall remain nameless--though both their names begin with "L") that my scribbling from last week about the Lights, while hideously entertaining and rather pro-penned, nonetheless offered very little in actual critical content. The chicks' muddled-headed point: A description such as "like a mash of Pavement, Modest Mouse, and Jon Spencer--only, you know, not really," does little to inform the reader as to just how the band really sounds. And while I usually take such criticism of my work with the necessary sack of salt, I decided to at least make an effort to correct these criticisms this week. Hence this here review of the Ashbury Park show at the Central Saloon last Thursday.

Hailing from Portland, OR (if anyone can, actually, hail from Portland), Ashbury Park is a three-man, pot-addled-sounding, rock/bluegrasssupergroup consisting of Eric Schweiterman (guitar/ vocals), Adam Dunetz (guitar/ vocals), and John Becher (drums). The music, to use the superfluous adjectives "real critics" so consistently abuse, can be described as jammy, wandering, soulful, rugged, healthy, bright, hairy, bouncy, meaty, pondering, rural, and acoustic.

In short, the band is very solid, very talented, and very passionate about the music it plays. And while such THC-sapped honesty is normally in a different time zone from my cup of tea, Ashbury Park (named after a trailer park in Indiana) managed to win me over if for no other reason than the fact that the group was so goddamn happy to be playing. The songs may have been a little too long, and Eric Schweiterman's hair may have been a little too dreaded (though this is more personal taste than critical... er, criticism), but these are nothing more than minor complaints. In other words, if smart, well-played bluegrass/rock is your bag, then you should definitely catch Ashbury Park the next time it rambles through town.

Take that, ladies.