The Rings - The Rings
1980 Housekeeping
The Rings
The Rings
Genre: New Wave
3.75 out of 5
Highlights:
Who’s She Dancing’ With
I Need Strange
Third Generation
Boy do I wish this record didn’t open with the fauxgae of New Wavism. Bury that deeper into the album and I would be more inclined to want to listen.
I mean, the job is to listen to everything, but you’ve already started me off with a negative.
Okay…how’s the rest of it. I ask because this band has a bit of notoriety as being hometown Boston heroes.
“Who’s She Dancing’ With” is a bit of a bop and “This One’s for the Girls” is The Knack meets The Cars and a little more demented than either. Me likie.
But then it all sounds like songs in search of an identity.
Side Two starts off with more energy, pricking up my ears a tad. But, what the fuck is the singer doing on “Watch You Break”? Is he trying to be…French? Has he listened to too much Russell Meal? He sounds terrible.
And “I Need Strange” bites HARD on The Cars’ “Moving in Stereo”. Almost like a companion piece.
For my money, the best cut here is the barnburner final track “Third Generation”, a new wave garage rock special that blows the doors off. Open with this one, dammit.
Sigh.
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