Now re-recorded and born again for his upcoming album "Cheaper Than Therapy," "Ripped Up Magazine" is an unvarnished and emotional genre-blurring reflection on emergence and growth. And it's not just another throwback sound but a throwback of sorts itself, plucked from the pages of Harrison's younger self and refashioned with the perspective of the man he's since become.
Grant Henderson backed it during studio sessions that spearheaded the revival of "Ripped Up Magazine," this new rendition possesses all the electricity pushed into it due to Rimmer's live band's chemistry. This is a conversation between who Harrison was and who he is now, a theme that runs deep in "Cheaper Than Therapy." As Harrison himself describes it, therapy has enabled him to rediscover parts of his past, and in this track, we have a snapshot of that experience.
The sound of "Ripped Up Magazine" finds the grit of heartland rock smudged with the sincerity of a singer-songwriter braiding together a range of influences from Springsteen to Johnny Cash. It is raw without ragged, anthemic without losing its intimacy. You can hear the years it's been hauling around in the lyrics and vocals, and the result is a profoundly intimate and universal song. This song's unlikely ascent is, in many ways, a reflection of Harrison Rimmer's unflashy but determined, grounded in real stories. What was once a cool-sounding EP filler has since become a fan favorite, one that has been justifiably thrust into the spotlight. "Ripped Up Magazine" reminds us that sometimes the songs we think are footnotes are the headlines.
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