REVIEW: Rivers Of Gold by The Ruby Tuesdays
The Ruby Tuesdays have just released their latest single, ‘Rivers of Gold’. Recorded at the Electric Church Studio, the intense indie-rock anthem highlights the monumental amount of talent that goes unappreciated by the charts. But don’t worry, The Ruby Tuesdays are committed to changing this.
‘Rivers of Gold’ was initially released as a vinyl exclusive via Townsend Music, that went straight to number five in the Official UK Vinyl Charts. It was accompanied by a detailed zine, exploring the record’s lyrics and design.
Frontman and rhythm guitarist Tucker said: “The vinyl release was a decision made to bring those that wanted to hear the song closer to the meaning behind it. We worked unbelievably hard to deliver a complete package to help create a narrative in the minds of the listener including an A and B side with connecting stories, a zine and design that match”.
In typical Ruby Tuesdays fashion, ‘Rivers of Gold’ is turbulent from the get go. The fast paced flow of the raging guitars, along with Hall’s tireless bass line and Baird’s persistent percussion, displays their dedication to hone their ‘angry’ musical style.
I love how the verses act as the calm before the storm. Tucker’s elongated vocals deliver the first line: “You gotta go, you know you’re losing control, the needle’s eye’s got a hold of your soul.” Whilst Tucker uses his voice and confrontational lyricism to fight for what he believes in, the relentless drum and bass input, and the enchanting guitar hook, elevate the energy before the exhilarating choruses.
“You gotta go, you know you’re losing control, the needle’s eye’s got a hold of your soul” — The Ruby Tuesdays
My favourite part of the track has to be the build up to the final chorus. The fluctuating guitar hook, Tucker’s unwavering vocals and the ground-shaking drums show the lads are ready to raise the roof once more.
The intensity ignited in Tucker’s vocal firing line almost feels palpable. There is no denying the anthem’s ferocious nature will be a memorable one to experience at a gig when bands are allowed to get back on the road. ‘Rivers of Gold’ is a gold-standard tune for sure!
The fading guitar melody of side A seamlessly leads us into the unknown ‘Melancholy World’ of side B with its mysterious tone. The live acoustic session, recorded at All Silk Mastering House, certainly provides an alternative soundscape to what came before.
The divine B-side is The Ruby Tuesdays’ opportunity to showcase their songwriting capabilities. Not only can they compose anthemic tunes perfect for mosh pits, but they can also write slower, more serene songs that are perfect for swaying to.
When I spoke toTucker about the B-side’s story, he explained: “Melancholy World is a continuation of the twisted narrative of Rivers of Gold. More of an epilogue, it expresses how the society and world we live in can often create the issues and situations many people find themselves in. All of our lives are circumstantial and many people look down on others as a result of choices they may have had made for them by society”.
‘Melancholy World’ begins with a sweet-toned guitar riff from Barnes, providing the tune with a distinctive indie jangle. Despite the occasional use of dissonance, the lead guitar blends perfectly with the acoustic strumming.
‘It was your choice to not pull through, and there’s a cloud in a melancholy world’ — The Ruby Tuesdays
Its acoustic balladry, simplicity and beauty is reminiscent of ‘Half The World Away’ by Oasis. The blissful indie gem is not to be overlooked. Barnes’ smooth-as-silk guitar solo alone is worth buying the vinyl for!
Although their initial distribution approach is contradictory to how most people consume music nowadays, I have massive respect for The Ruby Tuesdays. They focused on the quality and craftsmanship of musical releases to go beyond expectations people may have nowadays.
When discussing the methods of music consumption available to us now, Tucker commented: “I’m not entirely of the opinion that streaming has completely ruined the beauty of music consumption there’s positives and negatives to both aspects. Listening to a vinyl is more of a complete musical experience than streaming and allows you to feel more connected to the song/artist not only as a result of the way the music is heard but because of the physical aspect of owning a vinyl. However, streaming platforms aren’t completely without merit. The instantaneous nature of Spotify etc means that there is a much wider audience available for artists and a wider choice of artists for listeners, whether that’s a good thing or not is debatable”.
Unfortunately, there is now more of a struggle for indie and alternative bands to break into the charts, through the barrier of repeated pop structures and a lack of difference in voices and songs.
“It’s harder now more than ever. The industry is saturated, people don’t care about the music, just the hype and rock is becoming an ever dying breed of genre” — Tucker
Showing appreciation for supporters, Tucker said: ‘It would be class to have the opportunities available and the engaged audience that bands before us had but we’re doing the best we can, have been presented opportunities ourselves and have mint people supporting us enough to help us get to number 5 in the vinyl chart so we’ve got nothing to complain about’.
The lads are even spreading their ideology through their ‘FUCK CHART MUSIC/UP THE TUESDAYS’ T-shirts and I couldn’t agree more. Although I am a full believer in liking whatever music you want, it would be good to take a detour from mainstream music indoctrination.
Tucker explained: “It would be very easy for us to write music about love and heartbreak with whiny reverb fuelled guitars but if we have nothing, we have integrity. There are too many bands out at the minute that have people tricked with haircuts and stupid costumes and it’s time that people open their eyes and realise that the bands they love are just clones of each other. Hopefully we can present ourselves as an alternative to the tripe that exists at the minute.”
The Ruby Tuesdays have rescheduled their hometown gig with This Feeling at The Electric Church Club to Friday 24th July. However, due to the unpredictable nature of COVID-19, the gig could be cancelled again. Tickets for the original date are still valid. If you wish to buy tickets, they are on sale for £7 now.
The Ruby Tuesdays are certain to impress fans of Oasis’ raw attitude, Kasabian’s anthemic style, and Stereophonics’ multifaceted music catalog.
Whilst you have the perfect opportunity to stay in and listen to music, purchase the limited edition vinyl for just £10. Rivers of Gold is also available on all major streaming platforms. UP THE TUESDAYS!
This review was originally published on Alternative Atmosphere in 2020.
