Acrobatics made easy
- Ghost of an Acrobat
- With simple melodies that are easy to hum along to, The RingOut will get stuck in your head for days. Their debut effort together is not too shabby!
- Check out TheRingOut.com
- The RingOut on Myspace
Central NJ’s Jerk Records founder and el presidente, Pete Andrews, is no stranger to indy rock. Having played in countless bands since his teens, Pete is back hitting the skins with a new band, The RingOut, an all-star cast of Jersey scene indy rockers. The band features Tim Bennett formerly of Full Surrender on guitar, John Molnar of Sketch on bass, and Jeff Ulrich formerly of The Only Normal on lead vocals and guitar.
The RingOut’s debut EP, “Ghost of an Acrobat” was released a few months back on Jerk Records. Though the members of the band all came to the projecy with a wealth of experience, they had only been together for a brief time previous to the EP’s release. Jeff Ulrich wrote some songs and called on Pete to help him put together a band. Pete immediately asked Tim to join up on guitar and soon thereafter John completed the lineup on bass. They began practicing together and almost immediately began working in the studio, a luxury afforded to them because Pete happens to run a studio. Most bands begin by playing some shows and saving up for studio time, but The RingOut flipped the script and only began to play live after the CD was released… a decision that was good for them because of their situation.
This all being said, you probably want to know about the EP, so here goes. “Ghost of an Acrobat” is a prime example of what Jerk Records has done best since I have known them (about 5 years now); they release seemingly flawless EPs. This isn’t saying that the label’s full length releases are awful, but the EPs always shine, and “Ghost of an Acrobat” is one of the best. Unlike other endeavors that these musicians have been involved with, this EP is not really groundbreaking and/or different, it covers well-treaded territory, melodic pop-oriented indy rock. It could easily be compared to recent Jimmy Eat World releases like “Futures” or “Bleed American” in style, and to a great extent also to Switchfoot.
While the sound is nothing new, the music is solid and well-developed. The songs are not very aggressive, but have a very catchy pop feel to them. I wouldn’t call their music complex, but it wouldn’t earn the title of being simple either. The guitar work is done perfectly, the two guitars work together to create strong melodies. The rhythm section is superb, Pete’s signature drum sound and John’s bass come together to paint a perfect backdrop for the guitars. There is evidence of great harmony within the band because everyone seems to work together to create one final product well.
Vocally, Jeff delivers with his sweet and sincere style, and the background vocals add a fullness that may be lacking if they weren’t there. At times the vocals seems to be a bit lax as if Jeff could be trying a bit harder, but maybe this is only because there seems to be potential for more.
The CD does not have a standout track, they all are equally strong. The production is great (I have come to expect great production from Jerk Records and Jerk Studio, but it never gets old). Overall, the EP is a solid debut and a mark of the band’s potential. With small tweaks and continued striving towards comign together as a band, I look forward to upcoming releases from the quartet.
