Did anyone ever expect to hear from these guys again? The other big shoegaze band from the genre’s heyday that isn’t My Bloody Valentine have re-emerged with two new singles that highlight the bookends of their career.

“Home is a Feeling” is what most would associate with prime Ride. Weightless, floating and psychedelic the new song reveals a slow serene groove that’s seems to drift ever further into the clouds. This is a return of the vague optimism that defined their early career in all its escapist glory. Beyond its ascending melody the song is wrapped in warm Beatle-esque harmonies and synth lines that would place it perfectly on their classic Nowhere. Ride has always been about a certain kind of feeling that they seem to effortlessly revisit here and that for fans will feel nothing short of home.

“Charm Assault” showcases the other side of the Ride story. By 1994 shoegaze was out of style and trying to keep up with the burgeoning britpop scene in England they came out with (the later disowned by themselves and Creation) Tarantula. Whether it’s this or Andy Bell’s recent activity in Oasis and Beady Eye thats taken influence, this is more of a straight rock song from them. According to Bell the song was “an expression of frustration and disgust at the people who currently run our (US) country” that finds them going down a new, albeit obscured political route. Still reveling in their love of harmonies and a spacey middle section keep this from becoming a faceless song and reminds of the special sound only they can bring.

Ride play the Royale July 19 in Boston!