Like reunited noise-poppers Slowdive, Pixies and the Jesus and Mary Chain, Ride’s reformation era has now lasted longer than their original incarnation. Unlike those peers, though, the Oxford four-piece usually delivered far better singles and gigs than albums. On Interplay, they don’t try to replicate the delicate thunder of their live shows, but foreground less familiar elements such as synths, pianos, strings and, crucially, space.
There are quick visits to the band’s happy places: 90s indie disco with Peace Sign and a muscular take on power-pop thanks to Portland Rocks. But the highlights come when they stray into wilder worlds: Stay Free, Last Night I Went Somewhere to Dream and Sunrise Chaser smuggle pretty tunes into unpredictable, psych-tinged productions, and Essaouira is a gorgeous experimental piece.
Ride have always been an eternally teenage band, harking back to an idealised 60s where rambles take place at midnight, there’s little debate about whether it’s good to fade away (it isn’t), and the only doors opening are those of perception. Interplay successfully retains those hippyish vibes, increasingly mixed with anger about the world disintegrating around them. It’s their most adult album yet, and it suits them.
