Ringo Starr - Look Up Review

NOTE: I'm back! Sorry for the long delay, things have been rather hectic for me lately, but I'm glad I finally have the time and energy to work on articles again!

Ringo Starr, the legendary rock drummer best known for his work with The Beatles, has officially dropped his first studio album since 2019, and 21st studio album overall! However, there's a catch this time! Instead of making another rock album, Starr has decided to instead make a country album titled "Look Up"! That's right, Ringo Starr has followed what seems to be a trend of non-country artists making country albums! The album is even written and produced by T-Bone Burnett, a well-renowned man in the world of Country music, and features a large number of country artists on 9 of the 11 songs! Many critics have claimed the album to be one of Ringo's best in decades, which is why I was so eager to listen to it and review it. I'm also a diehard fan of The Beatles, so even though I'm not familiar with Ringo's solo discography, nor am I a big fan of country music, I decided it would be worth checking out!

This review will be track-by-track, that way you can get my thoughts on each song of the album! With that said, here is what I think of all 11 songs from"Look Up":

"Breathless (feat. Billy Strings)" - This is the first of 3 songs to feature famous bluegrass musician Billy Strings. It's also my favorite song from the entire album! It's a basic country song, but I still find it very much enjoyable. One of the best things about this song in my opinion, is the guitarwork! It's done well in this song.

"Look Up (feat. Molly Tuttle)" - This is the first of four songs on the album to feature Molly Tuttle. Though it's not my favorite, I really like how upbeat this track feels! The lyrics are the biggest thing that make this song as upbeat as it is! Even though Ringo's voice is a little monotone (which is to be expected considering he's 84), the song maintains a happy feel, and that's great.

"Time On My Hands" - Released as the lead single for "Look Up", "Time On My Hands" is one of just two songs to not feature a guest artist! So far, it's arguably one of the biggest hits from the album as well! This is one of RIngo's best performances from the album, and it's what got me intrigued in the album in the first place!

"Never Let Me Go (feat. Billy Strings)" - The harmonica in this song is fantastic, as it adds a bluesy vibe to everything! The only complaint I have is that Ringo's voice is a little bit underwhelming in the chorus, but like I said earlier, he's doing great for his age!

"I Live for Your Love (feat. Molly Tuttle)" - This is a very calming song, and Ringo and Molly's vocals combine really well. The biggest problem I have with this song is that the hi-hat on the drums gets annoying very quickly when you focus on it! If it weren't for that, this would be my favorite song on the album!

"Come Back (feat. Lucius)" - I don't mind this ballad, but the backing vocals really drown out Ringo's voice. Outside of that, it's a pretty average tune. I really like Ringo's whistling on the song tho, as it seems to add a nice touch!

"Can You Hear Me Call (feat. Molly Tuttle)" - This is one of my least favorite songs from the album! Unlike "I Live for Your Love", Molly and Ringo's vocals do not combine well at all. Not to mention how dull the song is overall. The best part of the song, however, is when Molly does backing vocals during the chorus!

"Rosetta (feat. Billy Strings & Larkin Poe)" - This song is most definitely a step up from "Can You Hear Me Call"!  The upright bass sounds great, and I also enjoy the guitar solo about halfway through the song! It seems that all of the songs with Billy Strings on them are the best! I guess that's why he's so popular!

"You Want Some" - This song has a very raw juke joint feel to it, and the piano is pretty cool! It's not the most special song on the album,  but it definitely has the most retro sound!

"String Theory (feat. Molly Tuttle)" - The lyrics on this song are kind of odd, as to me they don't fit the style of the music very well. I'm really not sure what string theory has to do with country music. This is definitely one of the weirder songs on the album!

"Thankful (feat. Alison Krauss)" - This song was released as the second and final single for the album, and it's a pretty solid closing track! I like how it ends the album on a positive note. This is one of the better songs on the album, and I feel like it's one I'd be more likely to recommend to others!

There you have it, my review for "Look Up" by Ringo Starr! Overall, this album was kind of in the middle for me in terms of how much I liked it! Therefore, I'll be giving it a rating of 2.5/5 stars! It's not bad, but not particularly great either! Even though I don't 100% love it, I'm still grateful that we have two members of The Beatles still alive and making music for us! Hopefully we will get something new from Ringo or Paul McCartney in the near future! - Elliott Dudoit