At the ripe old age of 22, Ash's vocalist-guitarist Tim Wheeler and bassist Mark Hamilton prove they are wise beyond their years by trying not to be. The songs on Nu-Clear Sounds grab ideas from the louder end of the Britpop spectrum. About half resurface Teenage Fanclub's grubby guitar noise, while the cleaner tracks were definitely written with Blurry vision. Still, the power-pop elements are borrowed from the west end of the pond: producer/Garbage member Butch Vig works his alt-indie alchemy on the first three tracks--wham-bam glam rears its glittery head on "Jesus Says" and the thrashing and banging about of "Wild Surf" meets quaint sing-along harmonies. On the grittier side, "Numbskull," cranking out monster chords and spewing scaly vocals, could pass for a Pixies B-side. Same goes for the searing "Death Trip 21"--imagine U2's "Bullet the Blue Sky" if Korn had thought of the song first. So, are these young 'uns rip-off artists? No way. Ash's originality springs from their ability to listen, learn, and rewrite the lesson with the ink of their own intensity. --Beth Massa