River Tiber is the project of Tommy Paxton-Beesley, a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist from Toronto. I believe Synapses is his first full length album, however there was the Massachusetts EP, released in March of 2012, and another release back in 2011, titled From Now On, which I couldn't dig up any info on. His music has a very spacy and eerie vibe, which employs drifting arpeggiated guitars, sputtering electronics, and a haunting vocal delivery.
Right off the bat, you may notice a strong Radiohead influence, especially in the style of the albums In Rainbows and Kid A. This comparison really hits me on the second track "The Ancients." The builds, the electronic percussion, and especially the transition into the chorus, with the ghostly voices and rising guitar melody, remind me strongly of a song like "15 Step." Also, the electronically manipulated voice on the closer, "What are you afraid of?" reminded me of "Fitter Happier," but it doesn't stick around for very long. Sounding very close to such a famous band isn't always the greatest, but I really admire River Tiber's dedication to mood. All of the songs coalesce very well to form a listening experience akin to sleeping in a stasis pod on the far side of the moon.
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| If you get up...you're in trouble. |
The other prominent feature of this album is the guitar work. In some places it feels monotonous. In "Atlantis," "The Star Falls," and "What are you afraid of?" I like the way that the arpeggios float out towards you and build up like smoke, but these three songs all use the guitar in a very similar way. These songs all develop very differently though, which saves them from being too samey. River Tiber also has some great solos sprinkled throughout this album that will take you by surprise.
In closing, the similarity to Radiohead may really turn some people off of this project, but I think this album has more to offer than just that comparison. Tommy Paxton-Beesley has some serious songwriting talent, tight attention to mood, and a knack for the slow build. It is a very solid effort in almost every aspect, and since you can get it for free, there is no excuse not to give it a listen.
Download Link -> http://rivertiber.com/
Discussion
- Listening to this album, I couldn't help but think of this video from my contemporary(Ya right. I Wish.), The Needle Drop. What do you think about this?
- Synapses is backed by a very gripping and artistic set of Youtube videos, how you do you feel your perception of a song changes with the music video? Is this a good or a bad thing?
- Which stasis pod would you rather wake up in? the one from Alien or the one from Moon?
Thanks for reading!
