A Driving Garage-Slacker Rock Album from Ricky
A fresh album release from Ricky delivers what some might consider to be slacker rock, a combination of classic grunge style undertones, a hint of whimsical and almost theatrical approach, and this '90s underground rock underbelly that really come together and deliver a bit of an animated and very character driven set of songs that can be super catchy come up it pop-coated, and endlessly addictive.
The name of the game is layering guitar tones, and it works like a charm. The first track on the record, "Room", is a perfect example of that as it comes in with a watery, affected guitar allowing you to pick up on the lyrics and hone in on the vocals, which again can be a little animated, and very colorful at times.
Soon enough, the track picks up with another guitar that combines with the watery chorus riddled single note approach, and it gives things that thicker, more full-bodied, still very melodically driven, but slightly grungy appeal.
Whats The Point is packed with hooks, left and right. A lot of them have amazing choruses that stick in your head for hours or even days after the songs have ended, along with certain verses in tracks that you can't wait to get back to as well.
A lot of the time, you find yourself getting pulled into the lyrics because, although they can be a little whimsical or lighthearted at times, they can also be genuine. They're very honest, and there's definitely some inner thought that comes spilling out there.
"Don't Matter" comes through as a bright, pop-rock banger that definitely has that massive hook along with some great sonic drive, and this super lively energy.
There are a bunch of songs on this record that just give the air of a live performance. It's almost as if they recorded the record live on the floor, and everyone involved was feeding off of each other's energies the entire time.
Of course, I wasn't there, and I'm not sure how they did record it, but listening to the record makes you want to go see the band live.
These tracks are like hands-in-the-air sing-along style rock bangers, and they're endlessly fun for the most part.
"Cool Guy" is an example of a truck that definitely pushes such an amazing character. Such character-driven songs all across this record.
It makes me think of elements of early Weezer crossed with Nada Surf at times, but it's also its own thing completely.
I guess that's what slacker rock really is. It's supposed to be fun, whimsical, and semi-theatrical, with animated vocals and my energy style approach, but also with loads of catchy elements flowing through the veins of the songs.
These guys capture all that super well across this album.
"What's The Point" brings out some more of the great approach to guitar tone blending and thickening of the textural presence of the soundscape that they're capturing.
Songs like this make me think more of bands like Pavement.
I grew up with all those bands. I can tell you right now that those influences are definitely in there, but they're also spinning differently while giving you something familiar.
It's a record that gave me bouts of nostalgia at times, simply because I grew up with bands like Pavement and Dinosaur Jr.
I love this kind of stuff, and these guys really capture the aesthetic.
You can tell they're influenced by plenty of other stuff as well, but for me, it hit a certain sweet spot.
They definitely pay attention to those guitar tones and songwriting approaches in order to really nail that sound perfectly.
I do think it's just natural for them because that's the kind of music that they play, but it's just amazing to me that this stuff really comes back around, and I love hearing newer bands that are influenced by this kind of stuff.
Now, this also, of course, comes with plenty of this garage rock style as well. Songs that kind of thrash out a little bit but aren't really over the top. Tracks like "Don't Get It" are a damn near perfect example of exactly that.
Rambunctious style vocals, almost leaning towards a punk rock approach, guitars that sort of swell but also rock out, still coming through with that sort of colorful approach, but also edgy at the same time.
The whole record really gives plenty to chew on, and there are loads of surprises around its corners, but I can tell you that almost every track has this addictive element to it. Either the chorus or the verses, the way the vocals are performed, and some of those awesome guitar parts.
There's always something kind of refreshing, and they do branch out in different directions at times, again, bringing punk, garage Rock, and more to that classic indie and slacker rock style, but it's all very consistent and belongs together.
This was one of the most fun records I've heard in a very long time, and if you dig any of the classic bands that I mentioned, or just love a sort of light-hearted, fun, edgy, catchy, garage rock style approach, then these guys are 100% for you.
Definitely dive into this when you can, and don't be afraid to turn it up.
