SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: RINGO STARR – LOOK UP

RINGO STARR
LOOK UP
UNIVERSAL MUSIC

Ringo Starr has always had a love of country music. With The Beatles he recorded a cover of Buck Owens’ “Act Naturally” and always spoke about his appreciation of that genre. Country music was always very popular in Liverpool, so he came by it honestly. His second solo album, Beaucoups Of Blues (1970) was recorded in Nashville and in doing so, Starr proved to be ahead of the country rock bands of the 1970s. His new album, Look Up, sees him returning to his country roots.

Starr’s last studio album was released in 2019 (What’s My Name), and since then he has focused on releasing EPs. He has released six very successful EPs in total (the most recent Crooked Boy in 2024). On Look Up he has teamed up with T Bone Burnett, who co-wrote and produced the majority of the album. Starr first met Burnett in 1977 when he played on the Alpha Band’s Spark In The Dark. Burnett was a member of that band. Look Up is a more traditional country album. This is not Post Malone or Shaboozey, but rather a more traditional, straight ahead quality country album. There is also a tinge of rockabilly thrown in for good measure.

Starr is in top form and Burnett brings out the best in him. Burnett provides simple, yet effective arrangements on the songs and has brought in a brilliant supporting cast, including Billy Strings, Larkin Poe, Lucius, Molly Tuttle and Alison Krauss. Billy Strings and Larkin Poe sound great with Ringo, providing the perfect vocal and musical support on “Rosetta”. Tuttle sounds fantastic with Starr on the moving “I Live For Your Love”, and the majestic “Can You Hear Me Call”, while Krauss provides angelic vocals on the closing track (and one that Starr co-wrote with longtime collaborator Bruce Sugar) “Thankful”. It is an incredibly moving song and the perfect way to bring the album to a close.

But Starr is the star of the show. His drumming is steady and provides the perfect backing and fits in with whoever he is playing. Whether it be the wonderful slide on “You Want Some” (written by the great Billy Swan) or honky tonk piano, Ringo comes up with the perfect backbeat every time. Vocally, Starr has never sounded better. His vocals are strong, confident and he manages to evoke melancholy while sounding like he is having the time of his life. The songs chosen are perfect for him and there really isn’t a weak one in the bunch.

Starr’s return to the world of albums is very welcomed! This album started as an EP, but Starr was enjoying himself so much that he came up with an album that is extremely well made. The production is brilliant and the songs are so strong that repeated listening becomes almost mandatory. Look Up has the sense and feeling of an older album, yet is fresh and exciting at the same time. The pacing is perfect and the end result is one of Starr’s strongest albums in his career. I feel like a broken record, but Starr just keeps getting better and better.

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