We don’t know how we came across Ashnikko in the first place but we knew the first time we caught the video for “You Make Me Sick!” we were mesmerized. If you were to take Poppy’s hybrid blend of Pop and heaviness with a Lady Sovereign-style snarl and flow encompassed by a Legend (Yes, the one with Tom Cruise and the unicorn) meets Dungeons & Dragons atmosphere you might have an inkling of what WEEDKILLER is all about.
Aknikko is like your most favorite Fantasy character or Super Hero come to life and on WEEDKILLER brings a bite-sized bombast to each one of the 13 tracks here with most barely passing the two and a half minute mark for a tantalizing listening experience that yearns to be repeated over and over again.
“World Eater” starts the journey off with an amalgamation of peak Timbaland/Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott collabs and Pop then effortlessly segues into the aforementioned “You Make Me Sick!” with Ashnikko displaying this chameleon-like vocal style throughout the vitriolic yet danceable diatribe. “Worms” is just incredible showing that even Ashnikko’s “quieter” songs, while intimate, are still incredibly intricate. Elsewhere, “Super Soaker” is a barely restrained ramp up to raucousness with Daniela Lalita’s delivery serving as a lush contrast to Ashnikko’s pointed barbs while latest single “Cheerleader” is both a mad fairy tale visually as well as sonically bringing this chaotic mix of genres with a soaring chorus at its’ core.
“Miss Nectarine” is a throbbing, thumping club banger with “Chokehold Cherry Python” belting out some programmed propulsive pulses that builds to a shimmering endgame. The title track is just bliss with stripped down beats and minimal sonic distraction to show off Ashnikko’s vocal skills, “Possession of a Weapon” is a broad modern ballad, and “Dying Star” is practically epic with an expanded runtime on an even more epic track incorporating acoustic elements as Ethel Cain duets to close out one delightfully dynamic debut.
WEEDKILLER is out now through Parlophone Records Limited and you can get yours in a variety of formats as well as on all your favorite streaming sites when you head here. For more from Ashnikko, including info on where you can catch WEEDKILLER live like at Roadrunner in Boston on September 25th, follow the trail of socials by clicking here, here, or here.