Riverside
Eye of the Soundscape

The music of Riverside is most likely the best thing by far from the nation of Poland. I cannot really think of anything else good from there. Considering the quality of their latest work it isn’t that strange that I had some expectations when starting the work on this album, those expectations were far from met though. This new album is a double disk instrumental release playing for more than a hundred minutes, the first album following the way too early demise of guitarist Grudziński.

When I listened to this album I thought that maybe the emptiness the album shows is because music is mourning for the lost guitarist. The soundscapes are great on this album; there is nothing to complain about when it comes to the production and the band’s performances or the fact that they try some new ideas and directions. The complaint is for the song writing, the songs are just empty and directionless and 102 minutes of low tempo and uneventful songs is a tough thing to listen to even when the production is strong.

The press sheet gives hope though as it states that this is a complementary album between chapters in the story of Riverside, more troubling though is that Duda states it is an album he has always wanted to make. Well now he has, no point in doing anything even remotely like it again.

I find it funny that a band that made such great albums just recently manages to make such a dull album now. Where are those details that made those albums strong? I am not saying that they should make anything similar to those just something more akin to them in terms of quality. Because this is an album that really has absolutely nothing, it just begins, plays for a while and then ends, that is really all and it feels like it contains absolutely nothing of consequence.

I like Riverside, I don’t like this album so the good news is that it is probably a one-off and they will do something more interesting and exciting next time around. It is great that they try new and different things, this time it failed but maybe next time they will make something phenomenal. And with that I can just write that I see no point whatsoever in acquiring this sleeping pill, maybe for you who suffer from insomnia or think that InsideOut (and consequently the band) should earn some more money.

HHHHHHH