Ringo Deathstarr - Pure Mood

Ringo Deathstarr
Pure Mood
2015
Ringo Deathstarr - Pure Mood

When someone asks you to describe what shoegaze is it can be a bit of a daunting process. Layered lo-fi guitars, breathy female voceals, the list goes on and on but the exact definition can be a bit hazy. Now you have something to tell them: "Go listen to Pure Mood by Ringo Deathstarr". This record captures all of what shoegaze is and wraps it up in a nice little bow. The guitars strum out a constant rhythm and push the music forward but the background noise is really where the juice is. These tones give the music it's entire vibe and make it something really special. On "Show Me the Truth of Your Love" you hear the female and male vocals coming together to create a really interesting blend of tones that at the end leaves you with an almost tropical ditty to close out the track. Shoegaze is where hardcore went to grow up and Ringo Deathstarr do it at an amazingly high level. What sets them apart from the rest of the pack in this genre is their ability to bring in the little surprises instead of sticking with the formula ad infinitum.

The hooks and lyrics on Pure Mood are also quite well done. "Take me home Joey Ramone" one of the lyrics from "Big Bopper" just gives that little wink that let's you know Ringo Deathstarr aren't taking themselves as seriously as some shoegaze bands like to do. The four songs where they really seem to hit their stride is "Big Bopper", Guilt", "California Car Collection" and  "Frisbee". The songs where the female vocals are the main focus are definitely the more successful. Her voice gives you much more of the vibe that the band goes for where Elliot Frazier's tends to sound much more emo than it does shoegaze. In the end Pure Mood will be a nice treat for those who are actually into the genre but for others it may draw the same ire that emo did in the early 2000s, but the fact still remains that Ringo Deathstarr are at the top of their game when it comes to this record.

7.5 out of 10