Ringo Deathstarr - Mauve

by Paul Waller

published: 11 / 10 / 2012

Label: Club AC30
Format: CD

intro

Excellent second album which proves to be a massive step forward for Austin-based shoegaze act, Ringo Deathstarr

Ringo Deathstarr may well hail from Austin, Texas but after an initial listen to the band’s debut album last year you could be forgiven for thinking that they were in the second division in the shoegaze noise battle of the late 80s/early 90s, in which Jesus And Mary Chain were the premiership leaders. The good news is that this follow up, simply titled 'Mauv'e, is less of a re-hash and more of a tentative step forward. Musically there has been a deepening of the waters. The band have taken on the likes of Curve’s sound circa the 'Doppelganger' album and updated it a touch, fleshing out arrangements and (when Alex Gehring takes the microphone) giving Toni Halliday a run for her sexy breathy voice money. Tracks like the crashing 'Wave' (see what I did there!), capture a noisy dream gaze quality that on the bands previous album they attempted, but hadn't really mastered. It would seem that the band, two albums in, has matured. 'Brightest Star' is proof positive of this. The track runs for just under six minutes and is given time to breath, allowing the drone underneath its core to swell and develop all the way to its Eno-esque conclusion. With the release of this LP it's safe to say that the group will be remembered, not only for their awesome moniker, but for releasing one hell of a smart record. Buried in the past it may well be, but just like a reanimated corpse, it's busting out of its grave. Zombie shoe-gaze dream pop anyone?

Track Listing:-

1 Rip
2 Burn
3 Drain
4 Slack
5 Brightest Star
6 Drag
7 Fifteen
8 Girls We Know
9 Nap Time
10 Waste
11 Do You Wanna
12 Please Don't Kill Yourself
13 Wave

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/ringodeathstarr
http://www.ringodeathstarr.org/
https://twitter.com/RingoDeathstarr
http://ringodeathstarr.bandcamp.com/

Label Links:-

http://store.clubac30.com/
https://www.facebook.com/clubac30
https://twitter.com/clubac30

interviews

Interview (2016)

Anthony Strutt speaks to Austin, Texas-based shoegaze trio Ringo Deathstarr at a gig in Leicester about their recent third album,'Pure Mood', and their influences