OUT OF MYSELF

Prompted by that ubiquitous enthusiast Danbo I managed to get my hands on a copy of Riverside's debut album and boy do I owe him thanks! This is a major achievement, it references several bands (Floyd, Porcupine Tree and Marillion spring to mind) but still manages to sound fresh and vital. The album opener;"The Same River" is absolutely breathtaking. It builds from an atmospheric,Floydian opening into a full-blown angst-ridden epic with all the right ingredients:plaintive guitar solos,pulsating bass, gyrating drums and melancholy vocals. Out Of Myself is next up and whilst it heavily references Porcupine Tree,not a bad thing in my book,it has enough going on to be fresh and enjoyable. I Believe with its acoustic moods sets just the right tone and the instrumentals Reality Dream I and II are a riotous joy of fretboard and keyboard jousts á la Colosseum II. Loose Heart and In Two Minds are more straightforward but are highly enjoyable nonetheless.The Curtain Falls is another mini-epic in the Pink Floyd tradition and has a wonderful psychedelic feel to it.The final track OK is "OK" with nice whispered vocals and dreamy synths. All in all a very good album with great performances throughout. Special mention must go to the vocalist Duda who by dint of his relatively accentless singing manages to give the whole package an international appeal. This lot will go far!