Review of Coleman Rigg & The Ridge Runners’ Characters Living In Screens
by Tyler Asay
Coleman Rigg is a rock ‘n’ roll guy. The image and music that he and his band, the Ridge Runners, present is a mix of beefed-up guitars, motor oil, and nostalgia.
When The Philadelphia Globe checked in with him earlier this month to dispatch his experience from quarantine, he mentioned using the time to rewatch True Detective, HBO’s gritty anthology series where grizzled detectives solve unspeakable crimes (usually in a southern setting).
Their new EP, Characters Living In Screens, came out on Friday, May 15th as a follow-up to 2018’s Coleman Rigg. Like True Detective, Rigg’s music leans into dark, noir-esque themes while portraying the stories of characters who find themselves in unfortunate situations. First single, “Too Close,” pushes forward with tight riffs that feel reminiscent of the desert rock on Arctic Monkeys’ AM, with Rigg’s vocals touching on Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age (who was a collaborator on AM). The octave-unison lead vocal motif running through Characters gives the record a gothic and spectral distance, like on second single, “Followers.”
Recorded at Miner Street Recordings in Philadelphia, the EP feels more like a band record than Rigg’s previous effort. This is obviously reflected on the decision to include the Ridge Runners in the credits. On the Bo Diddley-influenced bob, “Bowie Is Dead,” Rigg engages with world-ending armageddon and climate change, and how losing your heroes makes you take stock of your own future. The band finds themselves looking over the edge at times, catching themselves with fast-paced turnarounds and tempo changes. “Playing in a winner’s game is how we’re going to lose,” sings Rigg like a boxer fighting to stay in the ring.
Characters Living In Screens is a well-pivoted re-introduction to Rigg’s musical persona, with him and the Ridge Runners forming a metaphorical 1950’s style street gang. “Grease Boy” deals with building the mythological archetype of rock ‘n’ roll guys riding in muscle cars blasting blues music from their heyday. Like True Detective or any of the characters that Rigg idolizes, we all see our inspirations as reflections of ourselves. It’s the way we re-interpret them that matters, as we follow them way down in the hole.
More about the Author: Tyler Asay is a music writer & musician. He is the singer/songwriter for indie-rock band, The Tisburys and can usually be found at Main Street Music or Dawson Street Pub. Bruce Springsteen is his hero. Twitter / Instagram
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