The Promise Ring

Was I really listening to this 20 years ago? Although 2004 was not the first time I heard The Promise Ring's "Very Emergency" song, I had forgotten how great it was. My first exposure to the album was through its title track "Very Emergency." Then I bought it in 2004 and enjoyed its other songs. There were also tracks I liked such as "Happiness Is All the Rage," "Living Around," "Jersey Shore," "The Deep South," and "Skips a Beat (Over You)." The Promise Ring also released 30° Everywhere, Nothing Feels Good, and Wood/Water studio albums.

In my opinion, The Promise Ring's best work can be found on Very Emergency and Nothing Feels Good. With 30° Everywhere, their debut album, they hadn't really found themselves.  Almost every track on the album sounds the same.  Wood/Water moved at a much slower pace, but it was still a nice effort.  I preferred it over 30° Everywhere.  Their second release, Nothing Feels Good, was when The Promise Ring really came into their own.  "Is This Thing On?" "Why Did Ever We Meet?" "Make Me a Chevy," "A Broken Tenor," "Raspberry Rush," "Nothing Feels Good," and "Pink Chimneys" are some of my favorite songs from Nothing Feels Good.

The Promise Ring shows off a number of different musical phases in their compilation of singles and unreleased songs titled Horse Latitudes. Its earliest material, including 'Watertown Plank' and 'A Picture Postcard,' showcases the raw origins of the band and their early tendency to combine meandering guitar notes with unbridled and distorted rock. Fans of the band will love Horse Latitudes, which was released in 1997.

The band made their final appearances on the 2002 Plea for Peace tour. On October 14, 2002, The Promise Ring's breakup was announced, despite their plans to film a video for "Suffer Never" after Plea for Peace. In the following week, the band explained that they had decided to focus on other projects and had been considering parting ways for a while. It was too bad these guys couldn't have stuck around longer, but it was fun while it lasted!

From Very Emergency:



From Nothing Feels Good: