I’ve been sitting on this review for a while, because it’s much more fun to listen to The Ruiins’ new EP Nobody than write about it. I’d have the best of intentions of putting my ideas down, but before long I was singing along to a chorus or grooving my body to the beat. When you’re lost in the music like that, you don’t want to analyse it. You just want to be.
Starting an EP with an instrumental intro is a bold choice, but it gives a great taste of what’s to come. Big driving drum beats, a tune that’s catchy as all get out. It tantalises us like a good entrée, making us salivate in anticipation for the main course.
The next song “Drowning” feels like a single already. It has such strong vocals delivering lyrics with heart, those big drums moving everything forward and encouraging us to tap our feet in time.
“Love Can Start a War” isn’t such a heavy hitter on the surface, with a gentler feel than the tracks that came before, but it packs a real emotional punch with powerful, gritty vocals. These vocals ensure tracks like this and “The Season,” the songs where the band eases their foot from the pedal just a little, never become background music.
It’s so hard to pick a favourite on such a quality collection of songs, but “Water & Waves” might just have the edge here. It’s got such a great summery feel with a hard-hitting sucker-punch of a chorus. It puts a big smile on my face every time.
Bands rarely save their lead singles to the end of an EP, but The Ruiins’ unconventional approach pays off here. I’ve already waxed lyrical about the quality of this song. The title track makes sure “Nobody” ends on a high, ensuring as a listener you feel so good about the EP that you want to press play again. And again. And again. Just six tracks has got me well and truly hooked on The Ruiins.
Nobody is available from all your favourite digital music providers now. The Ruiins will play some local shows to celebrate its release in June.
8 June 2018 – The Cambridge, Newcastle
9 June 2018 – The Union Hotel, Sydney
15 June 2018 – Great Northern Hotel, Byron Bay
16 June 2018 – The Pink Motel, Gold Coast
Image used with permission from Who Collective