R. Ring's Kelley Deal and Mike Montgomery started work on their second album just before the COVID-19 global pandemic hit, then refined it while they worked on other projects during quarantines and lockdowns (Deal toured with Protomartyr; Montgomery recorded other bands at his Candyland studio). This hurry-up-and-wait creative process gives them the best of both worlds on War Poems, We Rested: The duo holds onto Ignite the Rest's fun and spontaneity and expands on its blend of indie, post-rock, and Americana with confidence and creativity. Just how much Deal and Montgomery expanded their dynamic and dramatic range is immediately apparent on War Poems, We Rested's bookends. Vibraphonist Joe Suer gives the indie noir of opening track "Still Life" an extra dash of intrigue as Deal sighs, "All I want is a cigarette/And someone to pay the rent" with a rumpled sultriness. R. Ring sends off the album with "War Poems," which weaves Suer's vibes and Lori Goldston's cello into a homey version of post-rock that's equally cosmic and cozy. In between these songs, Deal and Montgomery find other fresh expressions of the sweetness and grit that made Ignite the Rest so winning. Deal's work with the Breeders and the Kelley Deal 6000 made her one of the architects of the fuzzy, chugging, 1990s rock that legions of 21st century bands try to recapture, but the standouts "Hug" and "Cartoon Heart/Build Me a Question" underscore that her charisma is inimitable. Bat Fangs/Speed Stick drummer Laura King proves she's an integral part of the project on War Poems, We Rested, whether she's filling up the room on "Stole Eye"'s quintessential heartland indie rock or crafting a slyly sexy backdrop on "Def Sup" that Deal and Montgomery embellish with low-slung synths and fractured guitars. It's easy to take these quicksilver shifts in stride thanks to R. Ring's more expressive songwriting, another area where the time they spent tinkering paid off. The poignant warmth of "Embers on a Sleepwalk" calls to mind prime Sparklehorse with its rickety piano melody and the creak in Montgomery's voice, and when he asks "shouldn't you reach for me when you feel hollow?" on "Lighter Than a Berry," it's a haunting reminder that the cracks in a relationship can't always be repaired. Given R. Ring's pedigree and the potential they showed on Ignite the Rest, it's not exactly surprising how good War Poems, We Rested is, but its mix of down-to-earth rock and artful sonics is still a somewhat unexpected delight. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi

1		Still Life
2		Hug
3		Stole Eye
4		Likeable
5		Exit Music
6		Cartoon Heart/Build Me a Question
7		Def Sup
8		Embers on a Sleepwalk
9		Volunteer
10		Lighter Than a Berry
11		War Poems