Ride-- Nowhere (1990)

Following a steadfast British musical tradition, members Andy Bell and Mark Gardener met in art school, where they recruited Laurence Colbert and Steve Queralt to form Ride, a band that would go on to create a unique sound in British music and nearly become the biggest sound in alternative music.
With the release of their first EP, they were already honing that sound, and garnering attention from fans and music press alike. Taking most of their material from various EPs over a year’s time, and adding a few original songs to the mix, they released this brilliant album, NOWHERE. From there, it was music history, as they took the British music scene by storm, and finally made their way to the States to catch the eager ear of the critics, and even getting a minor U.S. hit with “Taste” and scoring an MTV hit with “Vapour Trail”.
It seemed clear to everyone that Ride was poised to become the next-big-thing.
Then along came the grunge movement to wipe most aspiring shoe-gazer bands from the U.S. charts, as every label scurried to find the next-big-Nirvana, instead.
NOWHERE is an album of transient beauty. It never finds a dull niche sound and coasts along. There are moments of pure musical genius, as Andy Bell laments love, loss, and life. The ethereal jangle guitar riffs and solid drums weave in and out of the foundational bass work. Some of the best I’ve ever heard; nothing overly ornate; just damned fine playing that fosters the music.
This is an album meant for late night drives and rainy days, broken hearts and lust filled nights.
Stand out tracks…erm…all of them. Seriously. This is the best album they ever produced and most fans agree that they never sounded as tight and wonderful as NOWHERE on subsequent albums. Get this album. Even if you don’t like shoe-gazer music, you’ll love this album for its pure beauty of construction and tonal quality.

Tracks:
1. "Seagull" 6:09
2. "Kaleidoscope" 3:01
3. "In a Different Place" 5:29
4. "Polar Bear" 4:45
5. "Dreams Burn Down" 6:04
6. "Decay" 3:35
7. "Paralysed" 5:34
8. "Vapour Trail" 4:18



Ride's official web site

--Nickolas Cook