Tarantula

iTunes Review

Fans of 1994’s classic rock–inspired Carnival of Light may dig how Tarantula continues to resonate with timeless tones. But faced with creative tension between frontmen Mark Gardner and Andy Bell (Gardner only cowrote one song) and a new era dawning in the U.K. (Oasis’ era, to be exact), Tarantula came out sounding a little less focused than previous Ride albums. Thankfully, all the songs still abound with Ride’s uncanny chemistry. A good handful of gems have aged quite nicely, starting with the hard-rocking opener, “Black Night Crash,” where Gardner’s and Bell’s guitars kick out call-and-response riffs while pumping their vintage guitar tones through the effect pedals of 1992’s Going Blank Again. “Walk on Water” plays like Bell was writing to compete with Oasis, unknowing that he’d later join the band before cofounding Beady Eye with Liam Gallagher. “Castle on the Hill” is a rootsy ballad that continues Bell’s lyrical fixation with Howard Hughes, while “A Trip Down Ronnie Lane” references The Faces while balancing old sounds with new ideas.