02.09.2020. 12:08:20
Album „Ashes“ - the Band Review
On 17th of April, year 2020. our debut album "Ashes" was released. The name of the album was symbolically chosen - the band was constantly, since it's beginning in 2015., going through ups and downs (mostly downs), but managed to raise from ashes after every fall, stronger and more determined to move forward.
Eleven out of twelve songs from the album were born from a joined collaboration and great chemistry between our singer Marija Gasparic and our guitar player Nenad Maderic, and the instrumental named "Boogie" is Nenad's creation. The songs were then arranged by our bass guitar player Hrvoje Kaucic and before hitting the studio played over and over by the whole band, with Robert Jurcec on drums and Tomislav Ocvirek on keyboard. The album was made in Hrvoje Niksic's studio "Kramasonic" during the summer of 2019. Our guests on the album were Kreso Oremus on harp, Niko Radas on percussions and Iva Jelic along with our Marija Gasparic on backing vocals. Followed by mixing in a collaboration between Niksic and Kaucic, afterwards sent to be mastered in London's "Tube mastering" studio by Andy Jackson. The albums quality was recognized by Leen Velthius from "ABIK Radio Promotions" who then took it to radio stations all over the world. Not even a week after the album's release so many good things started to happen and continue to do so, that it's hard to keep track. This is why the band decided to make a review of the accomplishments of "Ashes", four months after it's release.
On 25th of April our singl "Ashes" (from which the album derives it's name) entered the very prestigious and worldly renowned Roots Music Report (RMR) on their Top 50 Blues Rock Singles Chart as a new entry, and was direcly ranked #3, and remains highly ranked on that chart to this day.
At the same time the album, also as a new entry, was directly ranked #6 on RMR's Top 50 Blues Rock Album Chart, and also remains highly ranked to this day. In the past four months our first single "Ashes" gets accompanied by another five songs from the album on the Top 50 Blues Rock Songs Chart, which makes half of the album residents of that chart.
Also, the album was very well noticed by renowned blues critics all over the world (from Netherlands, Great Britain, France to USA, Columbia, Argentina... and Croatia) and got all positive reviews in the world of blues.
On one of the most prestigious internet radio stations that spins guitar music (smooth jazz, blues, country...) - Radio Guitar One, our first single "Ashes" was ranked #1 for three consecutive weeks on their Top 20 Blues Cuts Chart. At this moment, ranking high on that same chart is our song "Wolf". Be Sharp Band even got their own page on Radio Guitar One's internet adress, as a member of their internet family, called "The Blues Place".
Our album "Ashes" is being listened to in Great Britain, ranking it a high #23 in a tough competition on the Independent Blues Broadcasters Association (IBBA) Top 50 Chart for June of 2020.
In Argentina we ranked #2 on their Top Chart of the most played blues albums.
After the tragic and much too early death of our drummer Robert Jurcec, the band once again rises from ashes and continues to work with a new drummer Igor Balent.
Most recent band activity include a concert on Croatia's national TV station, HRT, on their show "Suncana strana Prisavlja" that gives a certain dose of seriousness and acknowledgement to what this band is trying to achieve in this part of the world.
So far we have released two official music videos, that are available on You Tube.
