The Ruby Sands are a band formed during the coronavirus lockdowns, spending their initial time together as an online writing partnership. It’s a real testament to their skills as a band that they’ve managed to keep up the good work and remain an active group of musicians, despite all the issue they’ve faced. Shifting Sand is the culmination of all their efforts, showcasing their skills off to the world.
By Jane Howkins
The Ruby Sands are heavily influenced by rock music across the board, covering many different eras and genres. Opener Small Town Valentine starts out in true heavy style, although it’s also fairly melodic, balancing the two elements perfectly. The main chord/bass sequence is fairly simplistic, but it sounds really epic, sucking you in instantly. The song also has a distinctive old school rock and roll vibe, adding something new to the modern rock genre.
Broken Toy is really interesting in terms of the guitar work, with the different guitar lines sounding almost like a string section at times, especially when they’re mixed with the bass. It sounds quite melancholic at times, although the chorus changes things up slightly, adding a new key change to proceedings. The deep vocals work really well with the sound and atmosphere the band are trying to cultivate, making everything seem perfect.
Final song Smash is a little more positive in nature, sounding more like a modern indie rock song. The guitars have a cool spaghetti western sound, reminding me a lot of the instrumental guitar-based surf rock bands that first became popular in the 50s and 60s. The vocals are more distant in the mix here, but it’s still a really good song, showing some fantastic songwriting skills.
The production on Shifting Sand is a little raw but give it some time and I’m sure this is something that will be figured out a little more. The Ruby Sands are a band doing something different and their songwriting skills are honed to the max – it’s only a matter of time before they hit the big time!
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