Lifeguard Ripped And Torn

Critic's Take

Lifeguard's debut Ripped And Torn reads like affectionate pastiche and provocation, and the review makes clear the best songs - notably “A Tightwire” and “It Will Get Worse” - are small thrills of vintage post-punk craft. The reviewer admires the opener's see-sawing chords and Hooky bass and praises the scraggly-stumming, half-yelped vocal of “It Will Get Worse” while still calling much of the record posery. There is real fun in the loud/soft dynamics and Randy Randall's production, but the album's short runtime and throwaway interstitials mean its promise flags after the vigorous opening. Ultimately the review treats the best tracks as convincing homages that still deliver brief exhilaration, even as the band often tips toward style over substance.

Key Points

• The best song is the opener "A Tightwire" because its Hooky bass and see-sawing chords deliver the album's clearest thrills.
• The album's core strength is energetic vintage post-punk production and lively loud/soft dynamics, though short interstitials and lack of follow-through undermine it.

Themes

Critic's Take

Lifeguard's debut Ripped and Torn rides a raucous, reverent energy, and the best songs - notably “It Will Get Worse” and “Like You’ll Lose” - land because they trust simple, memorable hooks. The reviewer's eye lingers on how “It Will Get Worse” pivots from lazy guitar to breathless momentum, and how “Like You’ll Lose” turns a shifty monotone into a mournful chorus, making them the album's clearest high points. Throughout, the band’s knack for vocalized “oh” sounds and an insistence on restraint over indulgence keeps these tracks vivid and immediate.

Key Points

• The best song, "It Will Get Worse," is best for its sudden momentum shifts, memorable la-la-la melody, and sharp rhythmic propulsion.
• The album's core strengths are concise hooks, disciplined restraint amid jagged atonality, and a clear lineage from British punk and post-punk.

Themes

Critic's Take

Lifeguard's debut Ripped And Torn bristles with a stylised rawness that rewards the ear, and the best songs - notably “Music For Three Drums” - wear their influences proudly. Tom Morgan's prose catches the band as both precocious and steeped in musical literacy, so the best tracks on Ripped And Torn feel like deliberate homages and detonations at once. The record's highlights trade fuzz and off-kilter post-punk hooks for moments of avant-garde reference and instant-satisfaction melody, which is why “Music For Three Drums” stands out as a top track. Overall, the album's thrills come from its confident DIY textures and the way individual songs translate youthful energy into taut, exhilarating arrangements.

Key Points

• The best song, “Music For Three Drums”, stands out for its explicit avant-garde reference and demonstration of the band's musical literacy.
• The album's core strengths are its DIY ethos, stylised rawness in production, and a youthful but literate fusion of punk, post-punk and avant-garde influences.

Themes

Critic's Take

Lifeguard arrive on Ripped And Torn with a bracing post-punk energy where the best songs - notably “A Tightwire” and “Like You'll Lose” - set the tone with urgent, off-kilter propulsion. Simpson writes with a relish for jagged detail, noting how “A Tightwire” establishes the template of urgent, disorienting guitars while “Like You'll Lose” turns that angularity toward something almost hymnal. The review highlights the peculiar, compulsive charm of “Music for 3 Drums” as a factory-floor ode to rhythm, so listeners asking about the best tracks on Ripped And Torn should start there. Overall the record feels like a confident, sometimes challenging debut that rewards repeat listening rather than immediate deciphering.

Key Points

• The best song, "A Tightwire", is the album's template-setting opener that defines its urgent, off-kilter energy.
• The album's core strengths are angular, driving post-punk guitars, dramatic builds, and a willingness to embrace distortion and rhythmic weirdness.

Themes

Critic's Take

In his high-energy write-up Joseph Mastel argues that Lifeguard’s debut Ripped And Torn is a thrilling blast of noisy garage punk, singling out “A Tightwire”, “It Will Get Worse” and “(I Wanna) Break Out” as pulse-quickening highlights. Mastel writes with breathless enthusiasm, praising the album’s frantic instrumentation and anthemic choruses while noting how songs like “Like You’ll Lose” and “T.L.A.” add danceable post-punk hues. The review keeps a celebratory tone throughout, framing the record as a concise, exhilarating debut that translates perfectly to live chaos and sing-along moments.

Key Points

• The best song, “A Tightwire”, is the album's explosive opener that sets the frantic, chaotic tone.
• The album's core strengths are relentless energy, anthemic choruses, and a willingness to blend garage punk with danceable post-punk and experimental textures.

Themes

Critic's Take

Lifeguard’s Ripped And Torn trades in dialled-back punk and emo-streaked vocals that repeatedly circle familiar ground, which is why the best songs on Ripped And Torn feel like small reprieves rather than revelations. The reviewer points to “Under Your Reach” and “(I Wanna) Break Out” as moments that interrupt the record’s monotony, offering differentiation and glimmers of individuality amid otherwise similar tracks. At the same time, songs like “How to Say Deisar” and “Like You'll Lose” tease intrigue at the start but retreat to safer territory, making them less successful as standout tracks. Overall, the record is competent and rehearsed but unsure of its destination, so the best tracks are those that briefly push the band beyond the well-trodden path.

Key Points

• The best song(s) are those that break the record’s monotony, specifically "Under Your Reach" and "(I Wanna) Break Out".
• The album’s core strengths are solid, rehearsed performances and polished post-punk production, but it suffers from sameness and indecision.

Themes

Critic's Take

Lifeguard’s Ripped and Torn is presented as beautiful, messy chaos and the reviewer repeatedly points to standout moments such as “How to Say Deisar”, “Music for 3 Drums” and “(I Wanna) Break Out” as the album’s high points. Dale Maplethorpe writes in exuberant, slightly anarchic prose, insisting you forget rules and let the record rewrite them, which is why the best songs on Ripped and Torn feel like deliberate jolts: abrasive, thrilling and oddly melodic. The review’s voice celebrates audacity and noise as artistry, recommending listeners get lost in the haphazard joy of tracks like “How to Say Deisar” and “Music for 3 Drums” rather than resist them.

Key Points

• The best song, "How to Say Deisar", is prized for its pure noise-rock audacity and joyous contrast between chaos and serenity.
• The album’s core strength is its fearless blend of feedback, noise and melody that creates cohesive, beautiful chaos.

Themes

Critic's Take

In his ecstatic, conversational style, Rob Sheffield argues that Lifeguard make a debut you can slam on repeat: Ripped and Torn bristles with brash, melodic body-slam punk where songs like “A Tightwire” and “(I Wanna) Break Out” emerge as instant favorites. He punctuates the album with vivid references to their Chicago roots and Matador lineage, praising the frantic opener and the kinda-sorta theme song as the record’s best tracks. The review’s rapid-fire music-history comparisons and exuberant tone sell why listeners asking "best songs on Ripped and Torn" should start with those high-energy cuts. Sheffield’s voice keeps it breezy and authoritative, promising that spending the summer with Ripped and Torn will be fun.

Key Points

• The best song is the opener "A Tightwire" because its frantic energy and bass breakdowns encapsulate the band’s forceful art-punk identity.
• The album’s core strengths are youthful, brash energy, concise pacing, and melding abrasive guitar with melodic hooks.

Themes