The Ritualists hit this perfect sweet spot that melds Radiohead, Coldplay, and Tears For Fears perfectly and on their debut full-length, Painted People, the NYC quartet merge all of that DNA to make something that’s a whole new level of amazing.
“Rattles” is a mood/tone setter for sure with this grandiose entrance that would be at home on any Pulp or Doves classic…and if this is your first time hearing vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Christian Dryden then you’re definitely in for a treat/awakening when his unique maw leads this rousing opener into the upper stratospheres.
“Ice Flower”, though, is the one that’ll have listeners enraptured with an intricate texture of sound and Dryden sounding like Ian Astbury mixed with Thom Yorke to create the most unique frosting on top of a Post-Punk cake. Next, “Worthiest One” treads Electro rawk territory and reminds us of the more recent Ian Brown outings (Think Solarized in particular) with this magnificent start/stop intro to keep listeners on edge and simultaneously lay a foundation for what’s to come. Like “She’s The Sun” which is an epic Middle Eastern-tinged banger or “Starry Night” which is aptly spacey and a proper ballad with echoes of Jeff Buckley’s Grace.
“I’m With The Painted People” is both a proper rabble rouser and a triumphant battle cry for the band as Dryden cries out the chorus with urgent intent. Elsewhere, “Over the Lie” is a big, ’80’s-tinged rawker while “Darling” is propelled by thunderous drum rumbles before sashaying into a striking guitar rawker with solos and riffs abound.
Wrapping it all up, “Sunset” is all acoustic guitars and a shimmering atmosphere accented by Dryden’s angelic falsetto capped off by one helluva grand piano outro to close out a debut full-length that’s beyond impressive.
Painted People comes your way through Out Of Line on August 2nd digitally with physical editions coming on September 6th. Pre-orders are up now and available by clicking here. For more on The Ritualists, including upcoming live performances, click here or here.