Lifeguard – ‘Ripped and Torn’ album review: True lifesavers, long live whatever this is!
THE SKINNY: Look, I’m here to tell you about Lifeguard’s new album, Ripped and Torn, but nothing I write here is going to prepare you for this record. If I were to write in a way that gave an honest reflection of what listening to this album is like, iwouldwritewithnospacesandblendwordsintoachaoticheapoftextnotlettingyoutakeabreatherandstrugglingtomakeheadsortailswithwhatisgoingon. I’d also include random capital words that have no affiliation to the sentences I’m writing BLANKET in a bid to reflect GNOME the random stabs of chaos available PALM throughout the LP FIRE.
How do I describe this album? I suppose if you wanted a genre, a blend between punk, indie rock and noise would just about do it, but a better way to describe it would be if someone had sampled nails on a chalkboard and turned the sound into something beautiful. The use of feedback, noise and twisted sounds throughout this album should create something unlistenable, but Lifeguard actually make a cohesive piece of music, both innovative and gorgeous with every passing second.
Don’t get me wrong, some people will detest this record, and Lifeguard know that. You don’t include elements of noise and screeching in an album without preparing yourself for backlash. My advice to those who reactively get their back up to the mere mention of noise would be to forget what you know about music and let this record try to rewrite the rules you live by. Get lost in the haphazard and messy nature of this record; it might not make sense in parts, but that’s all part of the fun.
Of all the album reviews I’ve done, this is one of the hardest to describe, but that’s a testament to the album. Just put it on and get lost in it. It’s the most beautiful kind of chaos.
For fans of: People who eat alphabet spaghetti but don’t try to make any words when doing so.
A concluding comment from the looping sound of feedback: “Look, everyone, I told you I’d make it.”
A Tightwire track by track:
Release: June 6th | Producer: Randy Randall | Label: Matador Records
‘A Tightwire’: Messy, chaotic, often out of tune, everything you want from a gritty rock band like this. The song seems to come in chapter titles despite only being two minutes long, as we drift from chaos to melancholy to noise and back again. Welcome to the album. [4/5]
‘It Will Get Worse’: Do you know how hard it is to do a pitched harmonic? You’ve got to hit the string just right, you’re thumb needs to glaze the side, and your pressing finger needs to bend like crazy. They sound easy on this song, with the quick hit and pitched harmonic sections that act as full stops throughout this heavy and enthusiastic piece of music. [3.5/5]
‘Me and My Flashes’: Feedback and warning signals. It’s not really a song, but on this record, it could be. [n/a]
‘Under Your Reach’: This slightly longer song allows itself to build a lot more. It makes for a really enchanting beginning and feels less chaotic than some of the other entries on this record. There is a slightly more gothic and doom-laden feel to the track. The slight change in tone is welcome, it keeps the listener on their toes, but very much walking the same line. [4/5]
‘How to Say Deisar’: Absolute noise rock, pure chaos, unhinged and uncomfortable in the best possible way. The way that Lifeguard can persistently dive back and forth from energetic and upbeat music to more stripped-back and serene sounds is a real joy to experience. [5/5]
‘(I Wanna) Break Out’: A low rumbling bassline and occasional hits of out-of-shape chords that sound like they’re straight from a horror film. Instrumentation that lingers under lyrics is devoid of melody and is instead an unrelenting noise made by persistent strumming. Some people will hate this. Those who know what’s good for them will love it. [4.5/5]
‘Like You’ll Lose’: Heavy indie rock, more twisted than the kind of stuff you might be used to, but it still has all of the elements people will know and love. It’s not the kind of music where you need to focus on individual elements; instead, just revel in the fact that none of it makes sense and all of it makes sense simultaneously. It’s a joy to be lost in. [4/5]
‘Music for 3 Drums’: You’ve read the title, that’s what it is—persistent drumming on different kinds of set making a minute-long seismic hit of noise. Don’t overthink it, lose yourself in it. It’s great! The audacity to have something like this in the second half of your album is a majestic artistry that others should pine for. [5/5]
‘France And’: Fast, repetitive and catchy. That same squealing guitar plays a big part, and the energy that we have grown so accustomed to throughout the album remains. [3/5]
‘Charlie’s Vox’: Again, more of that audacity that I love. There are drumsticks clicking in the background, but other than that, I can only imagine that ‘Charlie’s Vox’ is quite literally the sound of feedback from Charlie’s Vox amplifier. It’s not a song, but the fact that it’s here is so in keeping with the nature of this record that it’s not to view it as anything other than fantastic. [5/5]
‘Ripped + Torn’: A much more chilled-out song. Melody is provided by monotone vocals, occasional drums and primarily feedback with occasional chord hits. The atmosphere these components manage to create both puts you on edge and makes you feel at ease at the same time. Lifeguard’s ability to combine the jaggedness of noise and punk and create something melody-driven and wholesome is unlike any other band making music right now. This is a real treat to listen to. [4.5/5]
‘T.L.A.’: And here we are. You made it. This song is a lot more palatable than a lot of the others on the album, and I imagine a wider audience will be drawn to this kind of outro. It’s great rock music, a lot of fun to listen to and represents everything great about the genre. Lifeguard and lifesavers. Long live whatever this genre is called. [4/5]
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