Decca Records [Release date 10.01.24]

Being a member of the biggest band of all time seems to be the weightiest of dual edged swords. Whilst the expectation of any new material from a former Beatle is hugely anticipated, it’s inevitable that every note will be put under a microscope by both critics and the public. Of course, all of the Fab Four have gone on to carve their own names and paths in the fifty-five years since the band broke up but the one thing holds true is that they’d always brought out material that they believed in, pouring out heart and souls. Getting to that dizzying level of fame and wealth means you can do exactly what you want and the term ‘contractual obligation album’ never comes into the equation, this is music for the love of music’s sake.

‘Look Up’ is a different angle from Ringo Starr, his muse leaning him into a full album of Country music and featuring a number of famous friends along the way. Whilst his love of the genre has been well documented over the years, this sees him fully exploring country and having some real fun whilst doing so, the whole shining with class and a good humour. One thing that’s also done here is that Starr and Co eschew the usual tropes and trappings that some see as clichéd, the whole mood of the release upbeat and far away from the darker, self-absorbed and self-pitying lyrics that plagues country music to the uninitiated. True to form, the ever-smiling Ringo sprinkles the whole with love and peace, even in the more mellow moments.

Things get off to a rollicking start with the shuffling ‘Breathless’, young bluegrass rising star Billy Strings adding his own touches of magic and on the rolling and atmospheric ‘Look Up’ the equally stellar Molly Tuttle contributes some lovely splashes of colour to the musical palate. Both artists appear again later on during the album, Tuttle shining particularly brightly on the duet ‘Can You Hear Me Call’, the addition of this new generation giving extra fire to proceedings. This though is far from an effort to throw the baby out with the bathwater or reinvent the wheel as superstar producer and all-round musical genius T Bone Burnett brings an authenticity to everything he touches and ‘Look Up’ is no exception. Able to bring both a shimmering sound to the project whilst imbuing it with warmth and heart, the traditional feel is tastefully shot through with these more contemporary elements.

As well as the more rambunctious numbers like the swinging ‘You Want Some’ that features Starr’s distinctive playing and the earthy ‘Rosetta’, real soul is to be found here and the gorgeous swoon ‘I Live For Your Love’ and a sophisticated ‘String Theory’ bring something special. From the lush ‘Time On My Hands’ to the swooning 1960’s style delight of ‘Come Back’ there’s a lot to explore here and with Lucius, Larkin Poe and the sublime Alison Krauss joining the party this is an album that proves with the right heart and the best people around him, that the world’s most famous singing drummer still is passionate about what he’s doing. This may be a different type of release from Starr but he’s certainly earned the right to do whatever he pleases and this is far from a vanity project but instead fits nicely into his eclectic and always fascinating catalogue. Love, peace and Stetsons, ‘Look Up’ is a leftfield triumph that really works and one that’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Truly fab.****

Review by Paul Monkhouse

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)