THE TIDE

Not to be confused with a certain heavy Polish act with a very similar name, UK melodic song- based Neo-proggers Riversea return with their second album `The Tide' in 2018, and an endlessly tasteful and sophisticated follow-up it is. Instead of drawn out show-boating soloing, core and founding members Brendan Eyre (keyboards) and singer Marc Atkinson offer elegant song-writing carried by strong vocals and dramatic little bursts of instrumental colour in and around the tunes, reminding of Canadian band Mystery or something like a punchier version of the Steve Hogarth- fronted version of Marillion (especially their more tightly written albums like `Season's End', `Afraid of Sunlight' and `Radiation', less so the mumbling rambling ones!).

`The Tide' ponders everything from modern terror acts, social observations, spiritual belief and looking back on ones life, so lyrically it is reflective and perhaps gently melancholic, yet frequently retaining traces of hope and optimism. Many of the performers from the first album are back for this second effort - David Clements and Alex Cromarty are here on bass and drums, and there's contributions from guitarists Peter Aves, Paul Cusick, Galahad's Lee Abraham, Cosmograf's Robin Armstrong, Tinyfish's Simon Godfrey and Cloud Atlas' Martin Ledger, alongside flautist Tony Patterson and backing vocals courtesy of Mostly Autumn's Olivia Sparnenn and others.

Opener `The Tide' is just the sort of piece every Neo fans like to hear pop up on albums of this kind. Ice-cool synths, crisp guitars and a melodic yet not commercial edge with an emotional chorus of Marc's silken and charismatic voice, and its recurring piano melodies are sublime. `Shine' adds a touch of modern Arena-like toughness and slinking electronic danger, and while another standout `Blasphemy' refuses to divert into big bold soloing, it still lifts in a tightly dramatic build around news soundbites. The solemn `Your Last Day' reflects on mortality with several urgent guitar solos, `Drowning In Vertigo' contains hypnotic luxuriant harmonies, and the lush Marillion-like chorus of the refugee-themed `Strange Land' offers the deeply compassionate lyric `Take us in, feed us love, give us hope...'

There's a strident energy to `The Design' with its glistening keys and burning guitar soloing, a darkly weary jazzy shuffle to the sombre `Fall Out Warning', and the beautiful `Goodbye My Friend' is a touching yet gently wistful ballad that still finds moments for livelier and uplifting bursts. `To Those That Are Left Behind' is a short pensive interlude, and the lyrically defiant `Uprising' works in a pleading vocal, chiming guitar wisps and shimmering electric piano tiptoes full of mystery before the disc concludes on a final send-off reprise of the opening title-track.

While there's perhaps just a couple too many songs here, the majority of the pieces drift along in a fairly similar mid-tempo manner and some will wish the instrumental passages were longer, `The Tide' is still an extremely classy and polished work of supreme taste and great dignity performed with impeccable skill, and it makes for an endlessly enjoyable and undemanding light prog listen full of an admirable humanity that more albums in this genre should have.

Four stars.

"The Tide", released in 2018, is the second album by Riversea, the collaboration between singer Marc Atkinson and keyboardist Brendan Eyre. In addition to this royal couple, bassist David Clements and drummer Alex Cromarty are also considered permanent band members in the credits and why not. There is also a whole army of guest musicians present to put the necessary cherries on the proverbial cake. These are mainly soloists such as Lee Abraham, Paul Cusick and Robin Armstrong, but there is also Olivia Sparnenn Josh who does background vocals in the opening title track. So there are a lot of things to say about the piece.

Either way, they all guarantee music that you can at least call "college emo." "The Tide", like "Out Of An Ancient World" (2012) is another true test of your feelings. The atmosphere this time is more subdued, less exuberant.

It actually starts with the cover art. Every time I look at Ed Unitsky's beautiful artwork, I think: how strikingly this artist has captured the atmosphere of the music in an image. The dark blue of the cover with the milky white glow of the moon through it, fits the emotional bronze voice of Atkinson perfectly as well as the clear piano of Eyre's mostly layered keyboard parts. The many interpretations of the guest musicians also fit seamlessly into the picture.

Riversea's creative minds haven't exactly been at the forefront of handing out the variation of styles. Coherence is their motto. When it comes to clear themes and self-distinguishing vocal lines, Riversea is absolutely lord and master. Every song on "The Tide" has its own face, we count twelve.

After a short but convincing guitar intro, the album starts with the title track. The piano starts and there are the vocals. Atkinson's voice is so great. I have never heard anyone negatively about his vocals and would like to declare his qualities to be facts. Not only is it his voice, but also what he creates with it. Listen to the first minutes of Blasphemy, a song that eventually degenerates into a march-like piece with strong string accents in an almost Gothic ambiance. The languid Your Last Day is also a tasteful song with it's nice keyboard solo. At that point, the album is well underway and it's not surprising that a highlight is soon to be heard. Strange Land is truly beautiful. As the acoustic guitar propels along, Marc Atkinson sings about the refugee problem. To say that the song manages to hit quite a bit is at least an understatement, not to mention the wonderful guitar solo by Simon Godfrey. Goodbye My Friend is also such a poignant affair. The meaning of it is anyone's guess, but it doesn't matter. The setup is again very nice with a beautiful keyboard moment as a tribute. With the remarkable To Those Who Are Left Behind one gives a moody sequel to the previous song. Here it is the pastoral piano and the sad singing that fill the space. After Uprising, the album closes with a reprise of the opening title track that completes the circle.

"The Tide" is a beautiful album that gets better with every turn. I know of few CDs that inspire so much awe. Mighty what splendor.

Orginally posted on www.progenrock.com

I was very lucky to bump into his release. The music really stroke a chord with me. It's melancholic and full of melody, in total harmony with the lyrics which deal with matters of losing beloved persons, of people who are forced to abandon their land, of evil things that dominate the world and why we can't live a better and more peaceful life. The music and arrangments are credited to Brendan Eyre and the lyrics and vocal melodies to Marc Atkinson. They have recruited a wide range of musicians, including Lee Abraham and Olivia Sparnenn-Josh of Mostly Autumn to name just a couple. The general concept is depicted magnificently by the captivating artwork of Ed Unitsky. The opening track The Tide is one of my favourite songs for 2018 and it is a good reason alone to delve into the album with itsrepetitive, but mesmerizing melody. Of course there are plenty of good tracks here, like The Design, Strange Land or Your Last Day. It is certainly an album that requires a specific mood and if you're into it, it really absorbs you. Even though the songs are kind of one-dimensional there is a great flow and the listener who is into this kind of music has no other choice but resign to this flow. Some listeners may find it boring since surprises and twists are not around (and maybe it is not too much in the progressive sphere), but I would highly recommend it to those who like melancholic music with some lyrics that provide food for thought.