Rise Against are a band I’ve never sought out, yet keep finding myself listen to as they pop up a lot on random playlists. Ricochet is the first time I’ve actually sat down with an album of their material and deliberately decided to shove their music down my earholes. And what pleasant music it is.
OK, while “pleasant” isn’t likely the vibe they’re going for it’s not exactly a struggle to sit through 12 tracks of punk rock social commentary, especially from a band that with 25 years of experience pretty much know what they’re doing. Three singles are already streaming (“Nod”, “Prizefighter” and “I Want It All”) and they give a good idea of what the rest of the album is like. “Nod” is the opener and actually carries shades of Volbeat in the vocal style. “Prizefighter” is the closing song and a bit more of classic Rise Against track. “I Want It All” skips us back to track 2, regaling us with lyrics about being unapologetic about your goals.
Rise Against have always been a band quite happy to nail their colours to the mast and Ricochet is no different, though the lyrics this time round are more positive or advisory then revolutionary – perhaps not a bad thing in this day and age when we need uplifted as much as something to rail against. The title track is a fairly mellow number where the ricocheting bullets mentioned refer to our words and the consequences of them. The next track, “The Damage is Done”, details how hurt is not something that can be reversed… the perfect lyrical follow-on from “Ricochet”.
More life advice comes in “Sink Like A Stone”, advising the listener to prioritise their own mental health before taking on too much helping others (“When everybody’s crying on your shoulder… how much longer can you walk, before you finally have to stop?”). Speaking from experience… this is one to listen to, and not just because it’s a good song. It’s messages like this that make you realise why they were the perfect touring partner for Papa Roach last year.
Probably the most politically-charged track on this album is “State of Emergency”, a relative slow burner given the title. Rather than going full tilt about the state of the world, it begs the question “Why does it feel like we’re constantly in a state of emergency?” Who benefits, and what is the effect of this pressure on our own mindset? By the time I was onto this song I was beginning to appreciate that Ricochet isn’t just an album full of messages, it’s an album that begs you to think.
“Soldier” is a belter, with an opening that reminds me of “Zombie” if it were sped up and played an octave higher. Given the subject matter part of me wonders if this isn’t deliberate, both songs arguably focused on those who try to defend the indefensible.
It’s a very accessible album and you’ll have noticed that I’ve focused more on the lyrics than the music itself. There are no musical upsets on here, Rise Against haven’t changed their lineup or sound, and as such there’s nothing that will upset the faithful in that sense. The tunes are good, but it’s the messages within them that really dragged me in and made me want to listen to Ricochet over again.
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Ricochet is out on August 15th
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