Ringo Starr – Thankful Review

Drummer and now western gunslinger Ringo Starr is back with a new album after saying he was done with long-form releases. His period of EP work was, for lack of a better word, mixed. Second single, Thankful, ahead of country-themed release, Look Up, is charming. Lead single Time on My Hands was a truthful, flourishing look at Starr’s career. Reflection, but not in the looking back way, merely an acceptance of what he has achieved and what he hopes to continue with. It was a tender dose of skill from a legendary musician who, at his best, can weave lighter tales into darker pockets of life. The No No Song remains an exceptional, wide-open experience from Starr and Thankful has some ties to the Goodnight Vienna rip. The Alison Krauss-featuring song figures honesty and soft country rock charms are the right way to go. That they are. 

Electronic manipulation of Starr’s voice is more obvious here than it was on Time on My Hands but the honesty of his lyrical form is enough to rally an inspired piece of work. Simple rhyming structures and the desire to be a better man have Starr pursue some usual meanings but the charm and lightness of it, the inside joke of what “peace and love” has become as a slogan, is a defining moment. Thankful may mark a moment of clarity for listeners. What Starr has been trying to do with his career, the lack of truly great work, is a choice. These are just heartfelt reminders of thankful quality, a man who is sincerely grateful for what he has done and wishes to make it clear from song to song. Those light country tones are what make it work best of all, though. Starr is, as the title suggests, Thankful. 

Where these simple tones may be bereft of interest in the hands of another singer, Starr makes it work. There is a sincerity and lightness to this retelling of finding a helping hand that cannot be argued against. Starr is a better man, he feels, because of the influence of positive forces found later in life. Thankful, and to be fair to it, Time on My Hands too, got to grips with this optimistic beat. There may not be all too much in replaying the song, but it marks a nice and warm country spin from Starr. Beaucoup of Blues, his previous genre offering, provided songs of difficulty, of romantic difficulty. Thankful is not a direct continuation but certainly feels like a charming next step for Starr in his search genre joys.

Get carried away by the light joys of Thankful. It is easier to do that than it is to pick a hole in what becomes a very joyous and occasionally charming country tune. Krauss adds a necessary but barely heard backing vocal, a crucial layer which is overwhelmed by the Starr lead. Thankful will not reinvent Starr but it does add a sincerity to him which, on reflection, runs through all his musical offerings. Everything is done with the sense of experimentation, with a genuine tone of peace and love. Thankful offers that too and with Krauss, he finds a fun ballad of acoustic-led intent. Look Up seems to be filled with this upbeat sincerity, and long may it continue.