Brooklyn band Rips has taken New York by storm with their live shows that can be best described as “energetic”. With the June 16^th release of their self-titled debut album, Rips introduces us to their own brand of rock and roll and brings us all to our feet. Now would be a good time to turn the music up to the highest decibel.

The opening guitar solo and drum beat in “Losing II” seem to drown out the vocals, but it still has an awesome guitar solo between verses. “Malibu Entropy” is a fun track, with a melody that is easy to enjoy and would be great to listen to on a sunny day at the beach. “Break” is the song you want blasting through your speakers at the greatest party you’ve ever thrown.

The intro guitar in “No More” reminded me a bit of Walter Murphy’s “ A Fifth of Beethoven”, but it still had its own rock sound. Although, much like “Losing II”, the vocals in “No More” are drowned out by the sounds of the guitar and drum beat. “Damaged” has an awesome beat and I love the rapid strumming of the guitar and energetic rhythms.  “Save Room” is more of a laid back tune and not as up-tempo as the previous tracks. The extended guitar solo in the intro makes this track stand out from the rest. “Delay” has a psychedelic sound that makes you want to get up and rock out with the band.

“Vs” is a beautiful and amazing track. Imagine sitting on the beach and listening to “Vs” while watching the sun set.  “Psychics” has a whimsical intro that will remind you of the groovy sounds of the 1960’s. “Spell” closes out the show with one last triumphant burst of energy, with an exciting guitar solo that renders the audience speechless.

This album is truly rock and roll and it’s the perfect album for the beginning of summer. What better songs to listen to while on the beach and partying with friends than an energetic and heart pumping album? The only issue I have is that the vocals are easily drowned out by the music. While I love hearing the guitars and drums throughout each track, I also want to hear the voices behind the tracks. That’s part of what makes music so awesome.

Final Grade: B

About The Author

Lauren Beverly

Music Reviewer

I love to write and have been doing so since the age of eight. Fictional stories have always been a favorite of mine, because it gives me a chance to be creative and to express myself in a multitude of ways. On more than one occasion, a song proved to be the inspiration to several stories I have written. Believe it or not, some of those songs were on soundtracks! That’s mostly what I listen to, aside from hits from the 1950’s up to the 1980’s. I’ve learned that anything can be the inspiration to a story, even a poster from the 1990’s or a DVD cover.

I’ve lived in Upper Marlboro all of my life and spent much of my childhood watching cartoons of all kinds, and listening to my older sister’s cassette tapes. Growing up, I listened to everything Jackson related, Paula Abdul, Elton John, and even the controversial group Milli Vanilli. As a teenager, I continued to listen to old-school hits and that was pretty much all I liked, aside from listening to all of Michael Jackson’s music. To this day, I still love old-school hits. That hasn’t changed.

I own a variety of CDs from artists such as Styx, The BeeGees, Michael Jackson, Queen, The Yellow Submarine Soundtrack, and many others. When a soundtrack comes out, there will always be one specific song from that album that I’ll love. It never fails.

I’ve graduated from Bowie State University in December 2013 with a B.A. degree in English.

See author's posts