Shoegazers
Ride are still riding the post-reunion wave, with the release of their sixth LP, ‘
This Is Not A Safe Place’. The quartet teamed up with London-based DJ, Erol Alkan once more to produce their latest offering, having worked together on their fifth album, ‘
Weather Diaries’. His influence could previously be detected in tracks such as ‘
All I Want’, bridging the gap between rock and electronic, and aspects of this trickle through ‘This Is Not A Safe Place’; however, the Oxford four-piece don’t shy away from the scuzzy guitar work they’re known for.
Lead single, ‘
Future Love’, has a surf pop sheen to it, echoing melodies from Danish duo, The Raveonettes. “I see you / Are we drunk on morning dew? / 'Cause I can't say your name / But you've got me going / Yeah, you've got me going”, coo Mark Gardener and Andy Bell, bringing back their distinct harmonies. ‘Future Love’ is full of optimism, and is a refreshing alternative to the dreary exterior of much shoegaze, and openly discusses the euphoria of a relationship starting out, where everything seems possible.
Hopeful harmonies continue in ‘
Clouds of Saint Marie’, this time juxtaposed by lyrics that sway towards the passing of a relationship, and the memories that soon become cloudy. ‘15 Minutes’ also shares a similar arc, but less harmonious and harsher, paired with scuzzy strings and vexed vocals. At times ‘
Jump Jet’ mirrors New Order’s merge of new wave and electronic, so much so, the vocals resemble Bernard Sumner, while ‘
Eternal Recurrence’, is slower-paced, similar to ‘
Nowhere’s’, ‘
Dreams Burn Down’, but with a more hazy hue.
