Maude Latour sets up a song with nuanced thinking and complicated emotions from the very beginning of “Ride My Bike.” Latour almost offhandedly says “The world’s on fire so I ride my bike” in a way that may get misinterpreted by some as having a casual indifference to the disaster but really the lyric is an acknowledgment of wanting to do something but knowing that maybe right now you can’t do anything directly so best to be in motion to get your mind thinking and not get stuck in spiral of despair and get neutralized from being an effective person in your world that demands so much of us these days that we have to prioritize even as we adapt to the new horrible normal. The unconventional melody and Latour’s unconventional vocal cadence draws you in to a song that is part R&B and part experimental pop as it alternates between introspective moodiness and upbeat energetic choruses. Latour uses the idea of getting a runner’s high as a vehicle for talking about using a healthy outlet to avoid what she realizes at the young age of 19 are foolish ways to undermine yourself like late nights and dating bad guys, especially when there’s so much at stake right now as you balance living the life you want and one where you’re not a passive actor in a world that is running headlong into ecological and political doomsday if we don’t act now without getting constantly distracted by everyday nonsense and yet we can’t forget our humanity and care for own own fragility and that of others. In many ways it sounds like a love song for the world Latour would like to see happen. Listen to “Ride My Bike” on Soundcloud.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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