Alright, I’ll admit it, a have a bit of a thing for Portland singer/songwriter Jasmine Ash. Yes, every time I talk to her, I turn into a 14 year old girl flipping through the pages of Tiger Beat looking at pictures of Orlando Bloom. But what’s not to like about her: she’s a pretty girl, with a great sense of fashion (along with band mate J. Marie), and she loves bunnies. However, this post is not about my admittedly borderline-concerning crush for Jasmine. Nay, it is about the debut album Nice Nice from Jasmine’s band, Oh Darling.

I was first introduced to Jasmine on her solo album Shine . I was drawn to her Lisa Loeb-esque vocals and her solid songwriting. I knew that she was also in a band which I had been told was quite different from her solo stuff. I was anxious to hear how that material would sound, though I did have concerns that a band might distract from all of the things I liked about Jasmine’s solo work. A few months later, a copy of Nice Nice was sitting on my desk. I couldn’t have been more wrong about my concerns…

Oh Darling is no mere backing band for Jasmine. Each band member contributes heavily to the final project, resulting in ten tracks of beautiful indie pop rock. The album opens with a simple guitar riff on “Shoulda Never” before the rest of the band kicks in, leading to a rocking chorus. Guitarist Daven is actually new to the instrument, having played bass in previous bands and being told he would need to learn a new instrument in order to join Oh Darling (bassist J. Marie had that role locked down already). Whether the simplicity in his playing is due to his lack of experience or intentional is not important. It works. In fact, the strength of the whole band lies in its unassumingness. Nobody is trying to outshine one another in their playing. Most songs last no longer than three minutes, leaving the listener begging for more. However, it would be unfair to say that what Oh Darling does on Nice Nice is simple. There isn’t anything conventional about putting together an album this good.

It’s hard to pick a favorite track since they are all solid, but “Blindspot” is certainly a highlight for me; three beautiful minutes of Jasmine’s voice over a killer bass line from J. Marie, highlighted at the end by Jasmine’s synth. However, “Electrocute,” “Hey.Stay.Wait.Explode,” and “Against A Skyline” have all been favorites at one time or another since I received a copy of the album. The music is happy, fun, danceable and although just released this past week, was a perfect summer album for those of us that were lucky enough to get a copy before the release date. There are even a couple videos to promote the album, filmed by Kyle Oddson; the video for “Waking Up On A Train” was filmed at the Secret Society Ballroom and the streets of Portland.

Oh Darling celebrates their CD release in Portland at the Doug Fir Lounge on Oct. 3rd. I’ve caught them in concert a couple of times already and they put on an excellent show (new drummer Jake adds quite a bit of energy to the live experience). UHF and friends of Northwest Noise, Tea For Julie, are also on the bill. Be sure to check out some of the best live music Portland has to offer. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Nice Nice

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