Former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr invites us to “Look Up” and envision a future in twangy country music and nostalgic modernity with his new album released on Jan. 10, 2025.
In eleven songs, Starr collaborated with several artists – Billy Strings, Molly Turtle, Lucius, Larkin Poe, and Alison Krauss – giving light to the impact of a musical collective.
The album ebbs in and out of classic country music with southern-sounding songs like “Look Up” (the album’s namesake), “Time On My Hands”, and “Never Let Me Go” to name a few. In other songs, Starr explores bluesy and heartfelt tones in his partnerships; songs like “I Live For Your Love” with Molly Turtle and “Come Back” with Lucius.
Starr’s lyrics are straightforward and venture through heartbreak as well as a celebration of life and love. “I used to have a true love / Everything was fine / But now she’s found new love / She’s no longer mine” from “Time On My Hands” begins as a ballad of loss and unfolds into an acceptance Starr can share with his audience: “That bridge has been burned / So, if you’re feeling lonely / Well, I’ve been lonely too”.
The album is a journey through human emotion. Starr opens himself up to a common sadness, but follows up with songs of celebration. He seems to yearn for better times in “String Theory” (“Everything springs into love / Everything dreams / And radiates beams”) and yet finds himself drawn to memories in “Rosetta” with lyrics like: “Scenes come flashing back to me / Burned into my memory / Rosetta / Where have you been so long?”
Starr’s ability to dial back on his usual funk and deliver an album that embraces modernity yet relishes in the glory days (there’s no denying the Beatles produced exemplary solo artists) is what makes this piece feel like a slice of life. It is refreshingly simple, but not boring as more acoustic albums tend to be.
Unlike anything he has done before, “Look Up” was a wonderful testimony to life’s trials, confronting those tribulations head-on, making it possible to look down upon Ringo Starr’s timeless talents.