Ride
This Is Not A Safe Place

The Ride's reunion has been one of the most successful of recent years.

Resurrected by the two leaders Mark Gardener and Andy Bell, they have repositioned themselves excellently with two works of exquisite craftsmanship: the comeback album “Weather Diaries” and the equally convincing EP “Tomorrow’s Shore.”

Now it's time for confirmation with “This Is Not A Safe Place,” the second full-length since the reunion and their sixth album overall. A winning team (usually) doesn't change, so the excellent Eron Alkan returns to production and heavyweight Alan Moulder to mixing; it's inevitable that this new work is a continuation and an upgrade of what was shown in the previous effort, an upgrade that is perfectly successful.

We are indeed facing a significant step forward and a definitive repositioning of the Oxford quartet: the guiding lines of the sound are more or less those of “Weather Diaries,” but there's even more conviction and confidence. The Ride had announced a predominantly guitar-driven album and they have kept their promises.

The perfect vocal harmonies and “ethereal” guitars (both trademarks of the house) are not lacking, and satisfy even the most discerning tastes; Ride makes music with conviction and expressive freedom, and all this plays a key role in the development of the twelve tracks.

There is a lot of range, and surprises too, with a pounding opening heavily scented with kraut and dance (“R.I.D.E.”) before swiftly turning towards the perfectly crafted melody of the single “Future Love,” a sort of spiritual heir to the old “Twisterella.” “Repetition” returns to pounding, anticipating a series of tracks that range from the airy atmospheres of songs like “Clouds Of Saint Marie,” “End Game,” and “Eternal Recurrence,” to hefty blows reminiscent of Sonic Youth (“Fifteen Minutes,” “Kill Switch”), finally closing with the fabulous “In This Room,” complex and beautiful.

“This Is Not A Safe Place” fully convinces and certifies a now definitive second youth for Bell and company.

Best track: In This Room