Lifeguard - Ripped and Torn

Dialled-back punk sounds and rhythms, melodic breaks, emo-inspired vocals: the path Lifeguard travel
across ‘Ripped and Torn’ is one both well-trodden and one that’ll continue to be walked for years to come. It’s a standard 2020s post-punk release that falls in line with an ever-increasing list of them; not a bad record, but often monotonous: ‘A Tightwire’, ‘It Will Get Worse’ and ‘Me And My Flashes’, for example, all bleed together as one. But, occasionally the monotony is interrupted - ‘Under Your Reach’ and ‘(I Wanna) Break Out’ both offer some differentiation and glimmers of individuality.

‘How To Say Despair’ and ‘You’ll Lose’ though showcase the outfit’s struggle most acutely, introducing intrigue at their outset but then quickly retreating to a ‘safe’ space. It’s as if they’re aware of the path they’re travelling, occasionally toeing over the edge of their trail before then deciding against it. Ultimately, ‘Ripped And Torn’ is a little disappointing - its sounds are solid, refined and rehearsed, but feel relatively misguided, with the band seemingly unable to determine exactly where they’re going. Battling with a well-loved genre that’s been explored countless times, ‘Ripped and Torn’ feels like it has a few tears at the seams.