Album Review: Ride Ride Ride // Disco Lizards
I’ll admit when I read the name ‘Disco Lizards’ I immediately imagined an iguana dancing to ‘Saturday Night Fever’ beneath a glittering disco ball. I’m sure iguanas are honoured to be associated with the trio, but their unique sound is more Dodgy meets Whitesnake than The Bee Gees. From ‘Come On’ in 2019 to ‘Ride Ride Ride’ in 2020, Disco Lizards have kept bopping your head for over a year. Now they have something even more exciting than mere single releases. In one fell swoop you can listen to all their singles, plus a few new ones, in the debut album Ride Ride Ride.
Hailing from London, Hackney to be precise, Disco Lizards are dragging yesteryear’s rock into the 21st century with a bit of an indie-rock edge – this is more than evident in Ride Ride Ride. While the trio’s sound is distinctive in the contemporary rock music scene, it is the combination of different styles within one album that showcases Disco Lizard’s innovativeness.
Opening with high-paced, enthusiastic tracks like ‘Come On’, ‘I Heard You Crying’ and ‘Ride Ride Ride’, the UK-based group instantly introduces you to their 60s/70s rock-influenced sound. With catchy choruses, mind-blowing instrumentation and a general buoyancy, they have you hooked from the start.
A cleverly arranged album, Ride Ride Ride illustrates the versatility of Disco Lizards with effortless transitions from energetic rock and roll to slower, more sentimental ballads (sort of). The constant throughout the musical journey into which you are practically shoved is the depth of the content. Grittiness and raw honesty are evident in all the tracks using bold vocals, pounding drums and forceful guitars. Of course, you aren’t travelling exclusively on turbulent waves of rock as there is a psychedelic shift in ‘Magic Pill’ and ‘The Doctor’ illustrating the group’s eclecticism.
While I enjoy all ten tracks, I think my favourite is ‘Blue Ticks’. The prominence of Liam Gallagher-esque vocals atop an acoustic guitar proffers a raw, honest end to the album. Yet, it is the simplicity of the track which makes it more heartbreaking delicately exposing Disco Lizards’ fragility.
Not necessarily a concept album, but more a poignant diary of someone’s life, Ride Ride Ride is riddled with obsession, addiction, vulnerability, confusion, dejection and disillusionment. Can it get more real?