Meatsheet Review: Ride - This Is Not A Safe Place
Meatsheet Review: Ride - This Is Not A Safe Place
Reviewed By John Meat
I'm a huge fan of Ride. By the time you read this the record will already be a few weeks if not months old .The latest LP has 12 songs. This Is Not A Safe Place.. this is still the band you may know as Ride. It is my opinion they're pushing forward and progressing. It doesn't feel like they're trying to recreate any other 90s material such as Going Blank Again or Nowhere or even their Creation Records releases before that.
This LP feels eclectic, like Tarantula and Carnival of Light and yet has the drive to reinvent. They do circle back around to pick up some shoegaze roots. The guitars and additional accompanying tracks that play with the guitars make a huge statement, even on the moody or beautiful tracks . An impressive follow up to the previous comeback LP Weather Diaries.
For those of you who don't know, this band are almost inarguably one of the best shoegaze acts of the 90s. I hate to throw that label on them but for what they sound like it is an easy description. This new LP has elements of shoegaze but might be their most dancey. in fact there are some tracks with strong electronic tendencies.. if you listen to the opening track "R. I. D. E." and "Repetition" there is a heavy new wave and techno vibe. "Repetition" has very bass low register vocals in the background that compliment the higher lead vocal. If you know the song "Our Lips Are Sealed" as done by Fun Boy Three and listen to the backing vocals it's just like that. The opening track is a throbbing techno intro. It's dripping with sex and the drum has undeniably hard groove. You can vogue (ha ha remember when the goths and 1st wave techno kids did that in the clubs ?!?!) or headbang to that shit. The girl whispering "ride" is sultry, it adds to the sexuality.
Their second track and first single, "Future Love," has "you really got me going" as part of the song's chorus. It's a definite earworm and accomplished pop song. "Future Love" is catchy, it's a great song, but the non single songs are just as good for all you hipsters who are into deeper Trax .. avocado toast , pbr and still clinging desperately to the beard and man bun.
The opening track "R.I.D.E." is probably the most nightclub friendly as far as beats and something that wouldn't even need a dance remix. It's a great opener for LP or live set . There is a buildup that creates tension and then a release when that beat drops. It is almost goth-like in the same way that techno / industrial music delivers it's beat. There's a nice over driven bass line. It could almost pass for a new wave song.
"Killswitch" holds down a tight rhythm with an ominous saw wave bass sound almost sounds like a synth or bass guitar with some type of drenched effect. Other melodic highlights would be "Clouds of Saint Marie," classic daydreamy Ride.
But, the underrated cut on this LP is "Jump Jet," which is pretty much a superbly crafted pop song. Bell, Gardner and Company display the strongest song writing in my opinion on this track.
The record closes with "In This Room".. it's a long track a slow tempo retrospective of the record and the lyrics feature the title of the album. Track feels desolate and dreamy .. this is almost a perfect record in my opinion it is hard for me to find flaws with it. This album will hold up over time and will probably draw new fans if Ride keep touring. 9/10
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| Ride - This Is Not A Safe Place |
This LP feels eclectic, like Tarantula and Carnival of Light and yet has the drive to reinvent. They do circle back around to pick up some shoegaze roots. The guitars and additional accompanying tracks that play with the guitars make a huge statement, even on the moody or beautiful tracks . An impressive follow up to the previous comeback LP Weather Diaries.
For those of you who don't know, this band are almost inarguably one of the best shoegaze acts of the 90s. I hate to throw that label on them but for what they sound like it is an easy description. This new LP has elements of shoegaze but might be their most dancey. in fact there are some tracks with strong electronic tendencies.. if you listen to the opening track "R. I. D. E." and "Repetition" there is a heavy new wave and techno vibe. "Repetition" has very bass low register vocals in the background that compliment the higher lead vocal. If you know the song "Our Lips Are Sealed" as done by Fun Boy Three and listen to the backing vocals it's just like that. The opening track is a throbbing techno intro. It's dripping with sex and the drum has undeniably hard groove. You can vogue (ha ha remember when the goths and 1st wave techno kids did that in the clubs ?!?!) or headbang to that shit. The girl whispering "ride" is sultry, it adds to the sexuality.
Their second track and first single, "Future Love," has "you really got me going" as part of the song's chorus. It's a definite earworm and accomplished pop song. "Future Love" is catchy, it's a great song, but the non single songs are just as good for all you hipsters who are into deeper Trax .. avocado toast , pbr and still clinging desperately to the beard and man bun.
"Killswitch" holds down a tight rhythm with an ominous saw wave bass sound almost sounds like a synth or bass guitar with some type of drenched effect. Other melodic highlights would be "Clouds of Saint Marie," classic daydreamy Ride.
But, the underrated cut on this LP is "Jump Jet," which is pretty much a superbly crafted pop song. Bell, Gardner and Company display the strongest song writing in my opinion on this track.
The record closes with "In This Room".. it's a long track a slow tempo retrospective of the record and the lyrics feature the title of the album. Track feels desolate and dreamy .. this is almost a perfect record in my opinion it is hard for me to find flaws with it. This album will hold up over time and will probably draw new fans if Ride keep touring. 9/10
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