Ringside: Lost Days
In 2005, Ringside had a virtual hit on their hands with the track “Tired of Being Sorry”. Momentum petered for the song, but it found new life as a cover by Enrique Iglesias who turned it into an international hit. The reason we haven’t heard much from the band since then is that singer and songwriter for Ringside, Scott Thomas, broke his back promoting the group’s first self-titled album. January’s release of Lost Days brings the band and their sound back.
Ringside is very much an indie rock band with a flair for pop. In some ways they remind me of Maroon 5– you’ve got your band aspect down with guitars (acoustic and electric) as well as bass and drums. Ringside incorporates keyboards and beats to give the music layers. What you get often sounds like a remix of an indie rock song.
The opening track “Starbrite” did little to impress me lyrically. Thomas starts singing “Starlight. Starbright, I wish I may/ I wish I might make a moment last a life/ I, me, mine am yours tonight.” Musically, the track caught my attention; it’s driven heavily by drums, keys, and guitars and the melody of the chorus gives the track dance qualities.
The beats created for the band come from none other than actor, Balthazar Getty; he does a real bang up job. The first song where Getty’s work really steps to the forefront is “This Time”. Getty’s beat has a hip hop sound; a little simple but sets the mood. It’s laid over guitars that give the song a blues-like feel. Then the chorus hits and the pop feel of the band and the album take over.
In a nutshell, the album was very good. Thomas’s vocals sound a bit like Bono of U2 and he coolly croons through all the songs. The beats are enjoyable as well giving what would be regular rock tracks that exciting remix feel. Many times the band creates music with some sex appeal, as in “Money”. The song is a step down from what I’d consider stripper music. It sounds somewhere below guitar riffs by an act like Eagles of Death Metal, only not as wild. There is a definite hip shaking factor to their music.
The only complaint I have is that at 15 tracks the layout of the music could have been better. The songs are never played at a snail’s pace, but the first half of the album seems to contain all the swagger. The tail end slows down enough to feel as though the energy is waning. I found myself waiting for the tempo to pick up and the poppy/dance quality of earlier tracks to return.
Still, I highly recommend Lost Days. Even with my petty criticisms the band is a complete package. I only hope that the quality of Lost Days isn’t a result of the long time it took to complete. I don’t want to have to wait another 5 years to hear more from the band.
Rating: 8.2/10
MP3: Ringside “Lost Days”
Buy: iTunes or Amazon
Ringside: Lost Days
