VOICES IN MY HEAD

Consider "Voices In My Head" a companion piece to "Out Of Myself" - indeed, it takes its name from the whispered recurring lyric in the opening of the title track of said album. It consists of 5 new songs, followed by a live performances of 3 songs from "Out Of Myself". There's no real metal in the 5 new songs, they very much explore the softer more ambient side of Riverside, the music flowing elegantly, sometimes experimenting a bit with the electronic elements.

We start with "Us", which is just a quick piece with acoustic guitar over minimal synth, accompanied by soft Mariusz vocals. Delicate and beautiful, as well as understated. But the next track is my favourite. "Acronym Love" is hauntingly beautiful, and an absolute highlight. Introduced by melancholic piano, it leads into some gorgeous guitar from Piotr Grudzinski, reminiscent of the debut. Really moving, the guitar just soars.

Next is "Dna Ts. Rednum Or F. Raf" (or backwards: "Far From Understand", if you are staring at that name with a confused expression on your face). You hear the musical themes loop and develop, in a hypnotising manner. Synths wash over you as the bass and drums rhythmically pound and layers of Duda's (sometimes wordless) voice float around, punctuated by the slice of the melodic electric guitar. The dynamic range it utilised well, with slightly heavier parts and low key mostly acoustic soft parts, but that track flows naturally and holds your attention well.

"The Time I Was Daydreaming" is another relaxed short song, with soft vocals and acoustic strumming, alongside the melodic electric guitar playing a more atmospheric role. As with the rest of the album, the lyrics match the tone of the song perfectly, you can just close your eyes and absorb it all. The new material concludes in a similar manner with "Stuck Between", building and developing gradually, with layered multiple vocal lines harmonising beautifully complimenting the graceful melodic guitar lines. Serene bliss!

The live songs are "I Believe", "Loose Heart" and "Out Of Myself". The performances themselves are fine, though no particular revelation compared with their studio versions. For live Riverside you'd be far better off going with the live "Reality Dream" release. If you read my review of "Out Of Myself" though you'll know that I do absolutely adore the songs themselves.

"Voices In My Head" not as perfect as the first Riverside album, but it is just an extra EP, and I think Riverside just wanted the chance to explore something a bit different without the pressure of it being a full album follow up to their acclaimed debut. Besides, all the music is of an excellent standard, and will supplement your copy of "Out Of Myself" very nicely. So 4 stars seems fair to me.

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