Album Review: Ringo Starr, Look Up

Ringo Starr first declared his empathy with serious country music when he took the lead vocals position on ‘Act Naturally’ and ‘Honey Don’t’ with The Beatles about 60 years back. He reinforced his country credentials with his second solo album Beaucoup of Blues and other dabblings with the genre.

Now comes Look Up, Ringo’s hot new country outing of 11 tracks produced and mostly co-written by T Bone Burnett, a man whose phone book includes Bob Dylan, Elton John, Robert Plant, B.B. King, k.d. lang, Elvis Costello, Taylor Swift, and Steve Earle. Better still, his production approach allows Ringo plenty of space to lay back in a country groove.

Ringo's also joined, but not outgunned, by two female singers with impeccable bluegrass/country credentials, Molly Tuttle for the upbeat, mid-tempo ‘Can You Hear Me Call’ and the renowned Alison Krauss for a fine slice of vintage country rock on ‘Thankful’, itself earning Starr a writing credit.

The album opens with Ringo’s kick-ass beat driving ‘Breathless’ over a skiffle-ish sound with our man singing better than ever and clearly loving it. ‘Look Up’ chugs casually along akin in parts to ‘Get Back’-lite as the singer sends the world a plea for optimism. ‘Time On My Hands’ is a reflective acoustic ballad about lost love with tasty guitar.

Burnett’s contributions are impeccably appropriate throughout, with an avoidance of clutter and grandstanding solos preventing the album sliding into country-by-numbers territory. So it looks like Ringo has found his way back home after a six year break from recording duties. Sounds like the break did him and his dulcet Scouse tones a whole heap of good.

Out now: