REVIEW : RNDM's Ghost Riding - JurassicPress

So RNDM, side project of Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament, has released a new album – Ghost Riding! Naturally we’ve been ridiculously pumped for this ever since the releases of Stray and the title track, and now we’re finally able to sink our teeth into the full product. Is it good?

Yeah, it’s good. It’s bloody brilliant.

As a whole, Ghost Riding is a pretty eclectic blend of many an element, some more unexpected than others. At its core this is undoubtedly a rock album, that much is clear, but within the gravelly riffs and sad-boy vibes are some adorable little moments that have been taken from pop culture with gusto – bouncy, funky bass riffs and moaning synths stir from within, whilst sleepy, dreamy vocal imagery sets an undertone of melancholy beneath the entire project. You simply can’t escape synths in this endeavour, although that in itself is a beautiful gimmick.

Kicking things off with drive and excitement, the general introductory tone is full of grit, youth and a tasty hint of delicious meatiness. Intro track Stumbling Down and follow up Comfortable set the scene rather nicely with their somewhat other-worldly combination of earthy synth leads and floaty vocal effects (honestly, this album is riddled with subtle vocal touches that make you want to drift away, it’s actually quite therapeutic), before moving on into the bulk of the record. As it progresses, it finds itself relaxing into the record more and more, losing the initial energy and sliding into a spacey, slightly somber mood. Title track Ghost Riding and Stronger Man especially implore you to take a seat in their leather armchair with a whiskey on the rocks in one hand and a cigar in the other as they float around you, seeping an air of longing into the room.

This isn’t to say, however, that the character of this wonderful collection is lost in its gloom. Spontaneous bursts of energy are injected by Got To Survive and NYC Freaks without warning, urging you as their listener to maintain your interest with the return of funky baselines and foot-tapping rhythm. Despite these desperate breaths, however, all good things must come to an end, and Ghost Riding does so in the most elegant of ways. Dream Your Life Away reads you a bedtime story and kisses you on the forehead goodnight with eloquence and grace. If this were a rap battle, the f-bomb would have been dropped alongside the mic as the lights went down and the audience roared. The experience is pretty surreal.

Overall, this album is definitely an experience worth having, even if it’s only the once. The longing felt from an absent loved one seeps through the grungy surface of the record in the most pleasant of manners. If you don’t, you’ll regret it. Trust us.

9/10

For fans of: Pearl Jam, Coldplay, Elvis Depressedly

Words by: Joe Day