Texas trio Ringo Deathstarr has quickly become, since its formation in 2007, a significant part of the ongoing movement to revive the shoegaze genre. The band has embarked on several international tours and their output has been wildly prolific, with multiple singles and EPs and four full-length albums to their name. On Ringo Deathstarr’s third album Mauve, we are given a wistful set of tracks that are evocative of the early era of shoegaze.
There couldn’t be a better tone-setter for Mauve than the opener, Rip. No more than ten seconds in, the listener is engulfed by the band’s grinding guitars and their distant, atmospheric vocals. Add to this a tight percussion line and some jangling bells, and Ringo Deathstarr‘s visceral wall of sound is complete. The rest of the album, using this dense, ethereal blend, paints us a hazy and glittering portrait of sugarcoated melancholy. The band’s melodies are as sticky as they come, and when sung in the cool, reverb-y echoes of Alex Gehring and Elliot Frazier, become potent enough to give listeners goosebumps. Though much of Mauve bases itself around the classic shoegaze blueprint, Ringo Deathstarr’s solid musicianship is engaging till the end, which makes the record a great entry point for listeners new to the genre.
Favorite Tracks: Rip, Girls We Know
Track List
1. Rip 02:26
2. Burn 02:41
3. Drain 02:16
4. Slack 02:19
5. Brightest Star 05:47
6. Drag 02:43
7. Fifteen 02:41
8. Girls We Know 03:27
9. Nap Time 03:42
10. Waste 03:47
11. Do You Wanna 02:26
12. Please Don’t Kill Yourself 02:31
13. Wave 02:59
Related Links
Ringo Deathstarr’s Website
Ringo Deathstarr on Facebook
Ringo Deathstarr on Twitter
Ringo Deathstarr on BandCamp
Ringo Deathstarr on Instagram