I expressed the view on Twitter recently that the new single from Ride is a lovely thing, shot through with an end of summer feel. Opinions were divided: some suggested that the new album is superb, party due to Erol Alkan's production and the simultaneous crunch and shimmer of the guitars; some could hear The House Of Love in the twin vocals; some suggested that it was alright, fine in a traffic jam on the radio but lacking true greatness; some suggested my mid-range hearing is shot.
I'm still into it several days later. From the opening bass intro, and diving bass runs through the verse, to the twin guitars and slightly out of focus vocals, it shimmers and swoops. The single version is shorter than the album one (which has an extended ending part) and the surfing video seems apt. An online reviewer suggested that hearing men in their forties sing lines like 'Kissed you on a beach and I was saved' is a bit embarrassing but I don't buy that. When payday finally arrives I shall be buying the album.
I've enjoyed everything I've heard from this album so far.
ReplyDeleteIt is a wonderful song and the rest of the album is also worth to be listened. One of the better albums this year so far.
ReplyDeleteFantastic album. Saw them play a good few tracks off the album and they sound immense live, fitting in nicely with the older stuff. Best album of their's since Going Blank Again.
ReplyDeleteIt's a cracking album. They could have come back and just played the old songs to death, but like Slowdive they've made a really good record that acknowledges their past without simply replicating it.
ReplyDeleteDarren
It's a very good album, not great, but very good. Glad they decided not to make 'Nowhere II' as some longterm fans longed for. It's 2017 not 1990 and they do sound rather contemporary on the new record.
ReplyDeleteI keep telling people NOT to film me when I'm surfing!
ReplyDeleteI thought it was going to be hard to match, let alone top the Slowdive ablum in 2017, but Ride have done everything they could to make this a possibility. I can't get enough of Weather Diaries. It seems to find its way on either my car computer or bluetooth speakers EVERY DAY.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't meant to throw anything negative at Slowdive - it is a simply amazing record. But as the year is progressing, I am beginning to see a possibility of a tie for best/favorite album for the first time in a very long time... The MIchael Head and the Red Eleastic Band release Adiós Seńor Pussycat is the next release I am anticipating with bated breath... Thank you 2017 for being the banner music year you have turned out to be.