I never realised how much I needed Ricky Warwick's new album When Life Was Hard & Fast until I had a listen. I found Rock ‘N’ Roll romanticism, tales of blood red moons, duelling guitars, rats that bask in the darkness of their unacknowledged crimes.
It’s what I needed because the themes that run through these songs is that of unknown destinations, of never being content with the here and now, of finding the next kick. Even in ‘Time Don’t Seem To Matter’, Warwick sings, “If distance was a measurement, I’d always be by your side.” Then he adds, “I know where to find you. You’re always in the last place that I look.”
At a time when much of the world is in lockdown, when we cannot physically move anywhere, we still have our memories and imagination.
The cover of the album has a scene of The Ards TT, a motor race from generations ago, located at the bottom of Warwick’s family farm. Connected in this image, is Warwick’s familiar ties. The location is where he was rared and bred, cut through with the wild madness of the pioneers of early racers.
Already, there is the complexity of being rooted in a particular time and place, alongside the desire for adventure and creating something new for yourself. In a way, this juxtaposition is resolved in the song I Don’t Feel At Home. He sings, “I don’t want to live in this world anymore.”
Notice, he is not singing “I don’t want to live.” This is not, as far as I can tell, a song about suicidal ideation. It is this world Warwick feels dissatisfaction with. It is this dissatisfaction that gives him the kick in the ass to get out and change things, to take to the road, to become a Rock'n'roller.
It is this last point that makes this collection of songs the ultimate lockdown album. It is for those kindred spirits who want to change their worlds, it’s a call to arms. When Warwick sings, “Is there anyone out there still alive?” he is raising his voice above the mundane uniformity of the everyday. He has already given his answer; in his music, in his art.
