Ride
Interplay

When we talk about Ride, we are talking about one of the most important and seminal bands ever when it comes to the shoegaze genre. Defined as such (shoegazers) because they spent much of their time on stage looking down at their guitar pedals, seeking the desired effect.
Formed in 1988 in Oxford, Ride were immediately the jewel of Creation Records alongside My Bloody Valentine and Primal Scream, long before Oasis came along.

In the early days, they helped define this genre with a sound characterized by strong distorted guitars, a powerful rhythmic architecture, and a psychedelic nature with a more brit (almost) pop taste compared to their peers. After their 2014 reunion, they have continued to evolve through stylistic changes and experimentation.

"Interplay" is their seventh studio album and third since they reunited, it has a great sonic impact and is also inspired by 80s synth pop; as Gardener (guitarist and co-leader of the group along with Andy Bell) freely admits: “As you get older, you become a bit nostalgic, and it's natural to turn to the music we listened to as teenagers, for the new album I think of references like Tears for Fears, but also Depeche Mode”.

"Interplay" is a compendium of how to make indie music in 2024 without coming across as washed-up, nostalgic, or trivial. Guitars that climb high ("Midnight Rider"), power pop pieces ("Monaco"), 80s new wave keyboards and sound, dark atmospheres ("I Came to See the Wrek"), and space ballads ("Light in a Quiet Room" and the masterpiece "Last Night I Went Somewhere to Dream") that closely recall Spiritualized.

An album that reminds me why I love music, why I love this genre, and why it’s right to keep searching.