Interplay

英オックスフォードの伝説的シューゲイザー、ライド。全英トップ10ヒットを記録した前作から4年半、自身7枚目となるアルバム『インタープレイ』をリリース。

英オックスフォードの伝説的シューゲイザー、Rideは、Wichita/PIASよりニュー・アルバム『Interplay』をリリースする。このアルバムはバンドにとって7枚目のアルバムであり、2015年の再結成以来3作目となる。プロデューサー、Richie Kennedyにより、主にバンド自身のスタジオ、OX4でレコーディングされたこのアルバムは、初期の作品にあった熱狂的なギターのアタック、催眠術のようなグルーヴ、ドリーミーなメロディを、華麗なシンセ、サイケデリック・フォーク、エレクトロニック・ビート、ノワール・ポップのサウンドスケープなど、より広がりのある音のテンプレートに置き換えることで、グループがすべての点と点を結んだサウンドへと仕上がっている。

While Ride are often (rightfully) name-checked as one of the foundational shoegaze bands, their sound never stayed completely in one place for long. This was true before their initial breakup in 1996, as they ventured into increasingly psychedelic pop territory on releases like Carnival of Light, and theyve continued to try new things after reuniting in the mid-2010s, bringing electronic production approaches and genre experimentation to post reunion albums Weather Diaries (2017) and This Is Not a Safe Place (2019). The band take their sound even further away from shoegaze basics on their seventh album (and third since reuniting), Interplay. One of the more notable shifts on the album is how the songwriting looks more to the influence of 80s synth pop than ever before. The spacious verses and yearning melodies of "Last Frontier" sound borrowed directly from Echo and the Bunnymen, and "I Came to See the Wreck" is built of syncopated rhythms, burbling bass synth, and interlocking guitar leads that bring to mind the gloomy orchestrations of Disintegration-era Cure. "Monaco" is perhaps the most out of left field moment on Interplay, with a synthetic arrangement and melodic style akin to Duran Duran. The exploring isnt limited to synth pop nostalgia. "Essaouira" loops a trip-hop beat and sprinkles fragmented samples and ephemeral synths into the mix as the song slowly forms over its seven-minute run time. The eerie and minimal closing track "Yesterday Is Just a Song" sounds like a deep-space collaboration between Pink Floyd and Gary Numan. Some of the albums most exhilarating moments still come when Ride return to their signature elements. "Portland Rocks" has huge, crashing drums, a slowly unfolding chord progression, dreamy guitar leads, and tight vocal harmonies, all bringing back the tension and wonderment of the bands peak 90s material. The midtempoed "Last Night I Went Somewhere to Dream" is similar, with a structure reliant on simmering dynamics and layers of warm guitar textures. "Peace Sign" attempts to bridge the two worlds Ride are living between on Interplay, with signature harmonies from Mark Gardener and Andy Bell and a bumpy, rocking rhythm section that crosses paths with synth pads and moments of electronic processing. ~ Fred Thomas

While Ride are often (rightfully) name-checked as one of the foundational shoegaze bands, their sound never stayed completely in one place for long. This was true before their initial breakup in 1996, as they ventured into increasingly psychedelic pop territory on releases like Carnival of Light, and theyve continued to try new things after reuniting in the mid-2010s, bringing electronic production approaches and genre experimentation to post-reunion albums Weather Diaries (2017) and This Is Not a Safe Place (2019). The band take their sound even further away from shoegaze basics on their seventh album (and third since reuniting), Interplay. One of the more notable shifts on the album is how the songwriting looks more to the influence of 80s synth pop than ever before. The spacious verses and yearning melodies of "Last Frontier" sound borrowed directly from Echo and the Bunnymen, and "I Came to See the Wreck" is built of syncopated rhythms, burbling bass synth, and interlocking guitar leads that bring to mind the gloomy orchestrations of Disintegration-era Cure. "Monaco" is perhaps the most out of left field moment on Interplay, with a synthetic arrangement and melodic style akin to Duran Duran. Its unlike much else in Rides catalog, but feels more like a misfire than the band breaking adventurous new ground. The exploring isnt limited to synth pop nostalgia. "Essaouira" loops a trip-hop beat and sprinkles fragmented samples and ephemeral synths into the mix as the song slowly forms over its seven-minute run time. The eerie and minimal closing track "Yesterday Is Just a Song" sounds like a deep-space collaboration between Pink Floyd and Gary Numan. While its great to hear the reunited group not simply defaulting to the style theyre best known for, some of the records most exhilarating moments still come when Ride return to their signature elements. "Portland Rocks" has huge, crashing drums, a slowly unfolding chord progression, dreamy guitar leads, and tight vocal harmonies, all bringing back the tension and wonderment of the bands peak 90s material. The midtempoed "Last Night I Went Somewhere to Dream" is similar, with a structure reliant on simmering dynamics and layers of warm guitar textures. "Peace Sign" attempts to bridge the two worlds Ride are living between on Interplay, with signature harmonies from Mark Gardener and Andy Bell and a bumpy, rocking rhythm section that crosses paths with synth pads and moments of electronic processing. On the whole, Interplay is interesting but inconsistent, landing more like a collection of ideas being fleshed out than a cohesive album experience. Ultimately, its commendable that Ride continue to reach beyond their past, but the best moments of Interplay are the ones that remind the listener what made the band so unique to begin with. ~ Fred Thomas

88年に結成されて96年に解散、そして2015年に再結成したことを思うと、現在のライドはすでに前体制より長い期間を過ごしていることになる。もちろん各々が大人になったからこその産物ではあろうが、バンドとしてのマイペースながらも充実した活動ぶりは作品の内容からも伝わるものだろう。21年ぶりのアルバムとなった『Weather Diaries』(2017年)は全英11位を記録し、それに続く『This Is Not A Safe Place』(2019年)は全英7位を記録。もちろんそんな数字は数字だし、いまの彼らがその類の上昇志向と無縁なのは明白だが、いずれにせよ堅調なコンディションにあるバンドの充実ぶりは、このたび完成した通算7枚目のアルバム『Interplay』にも溢れている。復活後の前2作はエロル・アルカンにプロデュースを委ねたのに対し、今回はリッチー・ケネディを迎えて主にバンド所有のスタジオ=OX4で録音。幕開けの"Peace Sign"からもう眩しくて眩しくてたまらない好曲の連続で、かつての熱狂的なギターや夢心地のメロディー、陶酔的なグルーヴがプロダクションも加える形で広がりのある現代的な聴き心地に整えられている。過去最高の気持ち良さで満たされた傑作かも!
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