Ride and Nightmare Fortress

Anyone fortunate enough to catch Ride live in their early-’90s prime—where they sounded even better and more adrenalized than on their excellent records—should be at least slightly leery about this comeback tour. It’s foolish to hate all reunions on principle, but there’s good reason for skepticism. Sometimes, though, the sheer strength of a band’s songs carries the day against rusty chops, loss of vigor, and absent original members (the latter’s luckily not an issue for Ride). With irrefutable shoegaze monuments Nowhere (1990) and Going Blank Again (1992) to plunder—as well as the sporadically magical Carnival of Light (1994) and those pre-Nowhere EPs—Ride have no shortage of gorgeous, soaring rock to burst the hearts of their nostalgia-drunk following. I’m betting Ride don’t burn down our dreams—even if Mark Gardener’s lost his luscious locks. DAVE SEGAL