About

“For a genre that had shuffled out of the spotlight by the mid 90s, shoegaze is in remarkably rude health in 2017. Two months on from the well received return of Slowdive comes another assured effort from one of the genre’s big beasts, Ride, releasing their first album in 21 years…”

“…But where Slowdive’s new self-titled album felt like a meticulously preserved rendition of the feedback-swaddled sound the band were producing in their heyday, Weather Diaries sees Ride broaden their horizons. Producer Erol Alkan (he of Boyz Noise and legendary club night Trash fame) has buffed the band’s sound to an appealing sheen, bringing out a sense of melody that previously could only be glimpsed through the fuzz. The result is an album that strides confidently between garage rock (Lateral Alice), ambient (Integration Tape) and even prog (lead single Charm Assault). It’s all tidily done, and there’s barely a misstep, but it’s notable that the album’s two best tracks – the woozy jangle of Cali and the skyscraping closer White Sands – are the ones that trade on the band’s shoegazy past glories. Sometimes the old ways are the best.” - The Guardian

“It’s incredibly satisfying to hear a band reform and sound completely reinvigorated – every second sounds like it’s been pored over for hours, and Erol Alkan’s encouraging production sits perfectly within the music, never intrusive or stifling. This is an LP you can live in and get to know over time, but what ultimately shines through ‘Weather Diaries’ is Ride’s warmth and respect for their own band – it’s clear they were intent on doing everything right this time. Some of the lyrics might be a little clumsy (as they always have been), but when Mark Gardener sings “The breaths between better days / we came the long way round/ awakening to be ourselves / we died at least once to save our crown” , I forgive it all…”

“I challenge your humanity if you fail to crack a smile when the tumbling guitar riff kicks in midway through ‘Lannoy Point’, or when ‘Lateral Alice’ gets straight to the point with some well-crafted JAMC fuzz. Somewhere between the first and last word of this review, I bought tickets to see them live, just for the new songs. I suggest you do the same.” - Drowned In Sound