Ride - "Weather Diaries"

So let's see.  First My Bloody Valentine releases an album after 22 years.  Then, Slowdive releases an album after 22 years.  Now, here's the other great Shoegaze band, Ride, releasing their first album after 21 years.  If My Bloody Valentine was the disorienting and feedback heavy Shoegaze band, and Slowdive was the ambient and Pop oriented Shoegaze band, Ride was the very whimsical and colorful Shoegaze band.  From their 1991 debut "Nowhere", it was clear that Ride were something special.  This album was both expansive and gorgeous.  "Nowhere" had so many textures to it that made it such a colorful and deep listen, and the first time I listened to it, my first reaction was stopping it and putting it right back on again.  Ride's second album "Going Blank Again" was surprisingly, just as solid.  The tracks on this album were also seriously very catchy, not to mention it showed just how easily Ride could deal with much longer tracks.  But like many of the early Shoegaze band, Ride sort of seemed out of ides by the time 1994's "Carnival of Light" rolled around, Ride had dropped almost everything that had made them unique.  This album wasn't nearly as colorful or imaginative, and in return we got a whole lot of half assed Classic Rock worship.  And not for nothing, but there were dozens of bands doing that sound so much more justice in 1994.  1996's "Tarantula" I though was actually a little better,  It still wasn't the swirling and colorful Shoegaze they had given us in years prior, but there were certainly some catchy songs.  Outside of that, Ride's been quiet.  For 21 years.  These new singles from them have actually come off pretty refreshed and great sounding, let's talk about this album!

This album starts with “Lannoy Point”, and not to shockingly it’s a very pretty intro.  Ride has always had such a way with atmosphere, and this is certainly no different.  I love the tone of the guitars that start this one off, the synthesizers don’t come off too bad either (Even though I really didn’t expect them).  As “Lannoy Point” picks up, it actually turns into quite the intro. It’s a very vast and cinematic sounding track, like most of their early work is.  But vocally what’s really interesting is how Mark Gardener’s vocals come off so youthful sounding even though it’s been 21 years.  As far as an opening track goes, this is certainly pretty damn vibrant and colorful.  I love the very swirling atmosphere on this one that’s constantly building up to the chorus, which really isn't too bad either.  This is honestly a little catchier than I remember Ride’s earlier material being, but I’m certainly not complaining.  Up next is the much more energetic and upbeat “Charm Assault”, and while I sort of really dig this one, I can totally get why people wouldn’t be into it.  Like, with My Bloody Valentine and Slodive’s comeback albums, they’re been very progressive and have modernized nicely.  But “Charm Assault” had an extra helping of nostalgia, which is honestly what lead to the downfall of the band to begin with.  It’s certainly catchy though, and for the most part I really dig what Ride are doing.  However, this one is also not nearly as focused on atmosphere as the album’s opener, which is going to be another huge downfall with people.  But I do like the hazy guitars and the upbeat sound to this all.  The only reason I’m not totally 100% behind this, is quite frankly the lack of shoegaze influence.  On the other hand, I’m seriously not into “All I Want”.  All of the sketchy production tricks in the beginning seriously come off a little awkward for me here.  I’m used to hearing Ride among these very vast atmospheres that are often meticulous and pristine, which certainly does happen a ways into “All I Want”.  But come on, that intro was sincerely not necessary.  Now, let’s talk about these verses.  Honestly, they’re really repetitive for me, and more than anything sort of annoying.   And it’s a real shame, because I do like the much hazier and dreamier atmosphere on this one, and I love the very swirling atmosphere and how it’s returned.  But lyrically and vocally this one really isn’t as striking for me, and it gets even worse when the glitchy production returns.  So yea, I can see what people dig about “All I Want”, but it’s not for me.  Thankfully, I’m seriously much more invested in “Home Is A Feeling”.  Right from the opening there’s a simply lovely synth line, and quite frankly overall this is what I wanted to hear.  It’s hazy and dreamy, but it’s also just as focused as I was hoping to hear.  The vocals on this one are right where they ought to be as far as dreariness goes, and end up giving this a much bigger sound overall.  Now to be honest, some people are even going to have an issue with this one for how much this sounds like it was literally ripped right off of an early Ride album.  But for me, this is just the sort of serene and colorful track I showed up for.  

This album rolls on with it’s title track “Weather Diaries”, and the atmosphere on this one is certainly right that’s for sure.  But it’s sadly sort of flat underneath to be honest, like it’s all dolled up with nothing but filler underneath.  Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m not nearly as interested in these vocals or lyrics.  I certainly get what Ride are going for with these more introspective lyrics.  But sadly, I don't feel like it’s worth my time, especially within this super sluggish and quite frankly boring atmosphere.  I do like elements of this track, but I feel like in the earlier days of Ride they would have taken the sound of this one and done so much more with it.  This could have easily been a true slow burner with some colorful and stunning passages.  And while there are great moments to this, overall this one really doesn’t do too much.  Plus, holy hell, this track is 7 minutes long.  There’s just way too much of this track that really didn’t need to be there.  The last 3 minutes of an instrumental on the other hand, should have really been split and reworked into something else.  I’d go as far as to say that the last three minutes has some serious emotion to it, which is so much more than I can say about  the first 4 minutes here.  Plus some of the noisy production and feedback towards the end is interesting as well.  Up next, it’s “Rocket Silver Symphony”.  So many of these tracks have seriously stunning intro’s, as far as instrumentals go I’d say Ride sound pretty in tact.  This one’s introduction is sort of spacey, but it’s also seriously haunting.  Even though it this intro goes on for almost two minutes, it’s actually interesting and builds up the track nicely.  And when these instrumentals it, “Rocket Silver Symphony” becomes truly stunning.  I love the guitar tones on this one and the seriously pristine production.  Lyrically, I’m not going to lie, this is a litttttttle cheesy, and it seems a little dated occasionally.  But overall, this track is THE track I wanted to hear from Ride.  The pouting drums, the soaring synths, and the incredible group vocals are all spot on.  As far as a deep cut on this album goes, this is absolutely gigantic and I love it.  “Lateral Alice” is up next, brining back the much heavier sound we got a dose of earlier, which I’m not too horribly mad at.  I certainly do commend the guitar tones here, and some of the atmosphere as well.  But I feel like most of this track, and a lot of this album really doesn’t come off as the Ride that we once knew.  “Lateral Alice” could have been so much bigger and grander.  And while the vocals still sound very youthful and well performed, I feel like they’re not legit in a really weird way.  “Lateral Alice”, a track that lasts not even 3 minutes, sadly doesn’t even sound like it got started.  Now take all of that that I just said, and double it for “Cali”.  I feel like too much of this track is just going for nostalgia value and that’s about it.  I mean this literally sounds like any faceless mid-90’s alt rock tune.  Where the hell is the atmosphere?  Where’s the shoegaze influence at all? My answers are thankfully answered by the time the chorus rolls around.  As a matter of fact, this is easily one of the coolest sounding choruses this entire album has to offer, hell it comes off sounding like an actual Ride tune.  But the verses on “Cali” are unforgivable.  Who the hell even wrote this garbage?  Even the atmosphere and sonic sound comes in just a few seconds for the chorus, only for Ride to sort of half ass it on these awful nostalgia verses which contain ridiculous lines about surfing.  So no, I’m not happy with “Cali”.  It’s worth a listen for the solid chorus and a few other cool passages, but this is absolutely not worth listening to for 6 and a half minutes.  

When it comes to “Integration Tape”, I feel like the intro here is absolutely haunting and sort of beautiful, not to mention the production here is so much more in their favor.  Earlier, the sort of glitchy production didn’t come off well at all.  But here, it gives everything a real haunting beauty that you end up getting swept up in.  For a two and a half minute instrumental that’s slow and seriously atmospheric, I’ll take it.  This comes to show just how much better Ride come off sounding brilliant when they take things slow.   Ride once again takes things slower and score big with “Impermanence”.  Here, Ride really work out some of the smaller details, and not so shockingly, it comes off seriously beautiful and well done.  The vocals here are hypnotic and seriously memorable.  The vocals on “Impermanence” are layered, which alongside the very airy atmosphere to this one, gives this one so much dimension.  Listening to how well some of these later tracks have been coming off, sadly I feel like Ride have some serious unfinished business.  Like, with the result of the last Slowdive or My Bloody Valentine album, I would be so happy if they ended their careers off on such a high not.  But with Ride, hearing all of the earlier seriously mediocre material, and hearing how incredible this track, I really want to her them take one last swing and end their career on a better note.  Until that day comes, “Impermanence” is really incredible.  The lyrics are sweet and endearing, the vocals are smooth, no complaints here.  “White Sands” finishes this album off.  We’re once again dealing with a very slow sound for Ride.  But at least they’re sticking with the prettier side of things.  As a finale, I don’t really mind this at all as much as I would have loved to have heard maybe a little extra instrumentation on this one.  As far as the vocals go, they’re sweet, and lyrically this is sweet as well.  I do have to admit though, when some of those instrumentals do pop in, the results are pretty epic.  The drums fills are massive and instantly the atmosphere on this one get’s pretty huge.  It’s a solid ending. 

Rating: 7.0/10

Give A Listen To:  "Lannoy Point", "Home Is A Feeling", "Rocket Silver Symphony", "Impermanence"

Overall Thoughts:  There are certainly some great moments on here, and as far as nostalgia goes hell yea there's tons to like.  But I can't be the only one that thinks this album is just a little underwhelming.  We hear tracks like "Home Is A Feeling" and it's instant Shoegaze euphoria, only to be treated to ridiculously cheesy verses on "Cali".  I feel like with this one, Ride leaves us with more confusion than loose ends being tied up.  There are certainly some great moments here though, so it's worth a listen.