Man, the Irish have something good going on. They’ve always seemed to be the little red engine that could; the little guy that produces quality goods for the rest. From Guinness, to Jameson Whiskey, to U2 and Ronan Keating, the country has always been on the money with what they do. And going by The Riptide Movement and their new release Getting Through, it appears this trend is well on its way to continuing.
Now onto their third album, The Riptide Movement have gone about doing what they do and have released an album of quality Americana influenced Alternative-Country rock songs. At first listen, the accent of front man Mal Tuohy isn’t very Irish at all, with only the slightest tinge to it. Being honest, I thought they were American (Texan, probably); a sweet cross somewhere between The Gaslight Anthem, The Walkmen, The Lumineers and Chris Carrabba’s (Dashboard Confessional) most recent band Twin Forks.
Comparisons aside, The Riptide Movement have created an album of friendly and pleasing tunes. Opening track “Across The Water”, with its harmonica opening, gets the album off to a slow and steady pace, as you become accustomed with the sounds of the band. The simplicity of the track makes it an ideal opener. It’s not overly forceful, but pleasant enough that it doesn’t make you want to turn it off and never listen to the LP again.
Tracks two through four (“All Works Out”, “Animal” & “Friday To Sunday”) are the strongest three-song streak on Getting Through. “All Works Out” is a little rock-a-billy as Tuohy howls his way through telling us that tomorrow is indeed a new day, and it will all work out. How about that sentiment folks?
One of the intricacies of “Animal” is its use of horns. It brings the track together brilliantly, without overplaying the whole “we’ve got a horn section; bet you didn’t see that coming?” vibe. “Friday To Sunday” discusses the whole aspect of being young and smashing beers every Friday to Sunday, only to one day realise that the beers on the weekend aren’t what you enjoy; it’s the company you’re surrounded by. It is somewhat true, but weekends are bloody glorious either way.
Titular track “Getting Through” is the first point I realised they were indeed Irish, with Tuohy’s pronunciation of ‘through’ the giveaway. It’s a cruisy single that takes off in the closing minutes, while “How Can I Let You Go” is rollicky as all heck as its repetition of the title through out the chorus takes control.
“Skin and Bones” is a stompy, downbeat country tune that reminisces about the place you grew up in and how well you know and love it.
Album closer “You and I” ties the whole album together, with a couple extended guitar solos through out and the key lyric “You don’t think your shit don’t stink/ the world don’t owe you anything” suggesting the possible end to a relationship with an overly self-entitled significant other.
Getting Through is a neat album, that while not quite reaching the promise it showed in its earlier tracks, definitely showcases the sound of a band who knew what sound they were after. It may not have been the luck of the Irish that created this album, but it was definitely skill and talent. And Guinness.
Review Score: 7.5 out of 10
Getting Through is out now.
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