Look Up is a pleasant surprise not just because it comes from one of The Beatles, but because it marks a change in mood. Ringo Starr had suggested no more long-form releases were to come. He was content working on the EP releases and, as consistent as they are, they never had a chance to develop themes as strongly as the likes of Goodnight Vienna or Beaucoup of Blues. The latter has much influence on Look Up, a second outing of country charmers from the Fab Four drummer, who reaches deep into his life and comes out with some positively moving material. For all the light-heartedness which is associated with the man championing peace and love still, Look Up has a genuine and necessarily strong core to it. A chance to learn a little more about the man whose positivity is as honest as his ten-track country album.
Starr refrains from slipping into the usual legends slot of heartbreak in the face of a life well-lived. He is reflective, naturally, but many of the highs are all about looking forward, fresh-faced and adapting to the lessons of the past. Focus on the past too long and it becomes all-consuming. A simple rhyming structure is relied on for most of these songs, tunes of love and laughter where Starr provides moments which leave him spellbound. Breathless, the Billy Strings-featuring opener, relies on the simpler tones of being stunned by romance. They are nice enough moments. Light they may be, the country flicker and influence on Starr are exceptional. These are not just tranquil romance songs, a Molly Tuttle-featuring title track makes sure of this. Psychedelic glimmers which herald those glory days in The Beatles, while brief, are certainly in the mix. Look Up is a neat line between reflection and restoration.
Lead single Time on My Hands remains an intense shocker from Starr. Certainly the best of the bunch and drifting through those tones of reflections on lost love and perseverance in response to the grief. Much of Look Up is based on this desire for optimism, to keep the peace and love rolling in as genuine a fashion as possible given the upheaval. Wispy guitar tones and the classy country style of I Live for Your Love stand out. Tuttle provides some neat backing vocal work, as Alison Krauss does on album closer, Thankful. These are songs with a genuine heart to them. Standardised country instrumentals provide a consistent, always present safety net for Starr as he explores the light loves and past pleasures. Look Up is a charming piece not just because it is Starr at the core but because the seasoned veteran sharing his memories is a heartwarming sub-genre.
What works for Willie Nelson works for Ringo Starr. Look Up is proof of a longstanding genre tradition. Be honest with your audience and they, in turn, will be receptive to your stories. Guided by the whistling calmness of Come Back or the darker boom of the Strings and Larkin Poe-featuring Rosetta, Starr turns in a formidable and cosy effort. He occasionally punctures the lighter style with some dependable, demanding concepts, and those are the highlights. Look Up is not a sleight of hand trick from Starr. He genuinely envelops himself in the swing and style of the genre and comes out the other end all the better for it. You Want Some and String Theory may be simple flicks of skill but they do well to not only adapt the country tones but to keep them consistent and considerate of the open book Starr is. Look Up benefits tremendously from this honest tone and, for the most part, makes good on the light country tones Starr has chased ever since those forgotten Memphis sessions in the 1980s.
