This Is Not a Safe Place

This Is Not a Safe Place is the sixth studio album by English rock band Ride. The album was released on 16 August 2019, the date being announced on 23 April 2019 along with the release of the album's first single, "Future Love".^[12] The album is the band's second produced by English DJ Erol Alkan.

This Is Not a Safe Place
Studio album by Ride
Released	16 August 2019
Recorded	October 2018–March 2019
Studio	Assault & Battery, London
Genre	Post-punk shoegaze indie rock
Length	50:45
Label	Wichita Play It Again Sam
Producer	Erol Alkan
Ride chronology
Tomorrow's Shore (2018) This Is Not a Safe Place (2019) Interplay (2024)
Singles from This Is Not a Safe Place
"Future Love" Released: 23 April 2019 "Repetition" Released: 2 July 2019 "Clouds of Saint Marie" Released: 13 August 2019

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	6.8/10
Metacritic	70/100[1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Clash	8/10[3]
Consequence of Sound	B−[4]
Exclaim!	6/10[5]
The Irish Times	[6]
Mojo	[7]
NME	[8]
Pitchfork	6.5/10[9]
Q	[10]
Uncut	7/10[11]

Production

After seeing on exhibition in 2018, Andy Bell was inspired by the work and thinking of American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. One symbol that Basquiat incorporated into his work was three slashes '///'.^[13] This was based upon historic graffiti markings used by American hobos to indicate an unsafe place.^[14] This influenced the album name and cover artwork. Basquiat is also referenced in the lyrics of Repetition.^[15][16][17]

Bell stated that the album was influenced by the likes of Sonic Youth and the Fall and by "post-punk in general, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Public Image Ltd".^[17]

Track listing

This Is Not a Safe Place track listing

No.	Title	Lyrics	Length
1.	"R.I.D.E."	Loz Colbert	3:00
2.	"Future Love"		3:38
3.	"Repetition"		3:16
4.	"Kill Switch"	Colbert Mark Gardener Bell	2:44
5.	"Clouds of Saint Marie"		3:54
6.	"Eternal Recurrence"	Gardener	5:48
7.	"Fifteen Minutes"		3:14
8.	"Jump Jet"		5:08
9.	"Dial Up"		3:36
10.	"End Game"		3:36
11.	"Shadows Behind the Sun"	Gardener	4:00
12.	"In This Room"		8:40
Total length:			50:44

All lyrics are written by Andy Bell, except where noted.

Personnel

Ride

• Mark Gardener – lead vocals, guitar
• Andy Bell – vocals, guitar
• Steve Queralt – bass guitars
• Loz Colbert – drums, percussion

Additional personnel

• Erol Alkan – producing
• Alan Moulder – mixing
• Caesar Edmund – mixing

Charts

Chart performance for This Is Not a Safe Place

Chart (2019)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[18]	78
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[19]	75
French Albums (SNEP)[20]	193
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[21]	72
Scottish Albums (OCC)[22]	6
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[23]	94
UK Albums (OCC)[24]	7
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[25]	1