Ringers

"Ringers"

Cosmodenomic Telegraph

Though relatively unbeknownst to the rest of the world, New London has nurtured some really great musicians. New Londoners are spoiled by bands like the Can Kickers, Quiet Life, and The Paul Brockett Show. Now with their debut album, Ringers is making their own contribution to New London's rich music scene. Fusing an element of complexity with indie rock energy, Ringers creates a sound both familiar, yet distinctively their own.

The opening track "Disco" immediately grabs you with an infectious beat reminiscent of. well. disco. This is a prime example of the careful and intentional songwriting that went into making this album. Throughout most of the record a hard driving beat is paired with almost ethereal guitar parts. However, not to be locked into a certain formula, there are frequent mood

and tempo changes that occur so seamlessly they are barely noticeable. "The Alchemist" for instance, begins relatively quietly and builds up to a hammering pace by the end. Because of these dynamics the album never really grows tired even despite its length of a mere six songs. Ringers also manages to balance having a pretty hard sound with being incredibly catchy. The guitar solos cut through the rest of the music and keep everything from being too much white noise. "This Just In" is perfect near the middle of the album, its primarily slow tempo being a brief departure from the fast indie-rock found on the rest of the album. However, for the most part this is a fast rock album. When you listen to Ringers you'll want to dance, and after you listen to this album you'll be singing it in your head for hours.

One of the most incredible things about this band is their ability to rhyme and fit words together that just don't otherwise. "Pretty and Bleached" pairs "humor" with "who you were." Since you just read that I'm sure it means nothing to you. I want you to try saying it right now. Go ahead, "humor." Okay? Now, "who you were." Too many syllables in "who you were" huh? People around you are probably staring, and it's not because of what you said, it's because it didn't fit together. However if you were Ringers frontman Brock Johnson, you would have made those lyrics fit and you would have done so beautifully. Johnson writes primarily about typical teen subjects, but he writes about them in a very unique way. In one of their songs, Johnson likens the subject to an alchemist. This is a comparison I don't think I, or very many other people have drawn about anyone ever before. But it makes sense in context of the song, and works perfectly.

The Ringers are comprised of (vox&guitar) Ben Brock Johnson (lead lines) Ryan Birmingham (bass) Mike Hanna (drums) Matt Allen.

With its lively vigor and interesting dynamics, I can recommend this album to any fan of indie rock in the vein of Fugazi. This album is great, and has found a quite appropriate home right next to "Rites of Spring" in my record collection.

You can find out more about this great new band at www. Myspace.com/Ringers or email them at Ringersrock@comcast.net

- Wyatt Shibley

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