I'm not entirely sure why but I've never really gotten along with shoegaze. Sure, I have a lot of appreciation for the likes of MBV and Slowdive, but aside from that I tend to pass on the genre. While The Black Ryder present an album that isn't bad per say, Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride failed to ever truly excite me. There are moments on the project, like the doo-wop infused The Greatest Fall, that see a nice change of pace, but overall it just feels like an album that's a touch too comfortable. There's nothing wrong with comfort, but in playing it safe this project failed to ever reach the level it could hit. Again, my feelings towards the genre as a whole could be why I feel the way I do, but it just doesn't seem like this is the caliber of project that will turn people like me into a fan.
I'd give this a 2-2.5/5
|