RiversideI was recently reminded that the point of writing is to fix movement to the page so that when the reader comes along it moves again. Good prog music is like this too. Of course not all bands manage to achieve such a mobile connection but one that certainly does is Poland’s Riverside. Their electrifying performance at ProgPower Europe in 2006 is one of my most memorable experiences. Sound waves and a heartbeat recalling life accompanied rich instrumental patterns and touching songs.

The pattern continues on “Love, Fear and the Time Machine”, Riverside’s 6th album. The combination of movement and reflection is handled masterfully, never more so than on “Time Travellers”, where through the media of a patient acoustic rhythm and evocative lyrics we are invited to “go back to the world that was 30 years ago … let’s believe this is our time”. There’s a spine-chilling sadness about “Time Travellers” as there is on so much of this album. The past constantly is brought into the present: “Let me tell you a story about you and me in those days ….”. This line comes from “Towards the Blue Horizon”, where intricate rhythms are matched by an exciting musical development along the lines of Opeth. Pictures are built up slowly, never overstated and rarely cranked up. “Discard Your Fear” has a post metal section to go with the instrumental constancy, while the complex and multi-layered “Saturate Me” hits a crescendo with a crunchy rock sound to go with the hypnotic beat and emotion-filled crescendo.

On the whole, “Love, Fear and the Time Machine” is wistful, mellow and melancholic. There are no moments of violence, just reflection. “Lost (Why Should I Be Frightened by a Hat?)” has the hazy aura of the Western Isles about it. The vocalist’s tone has a similarity to Ralph McTell. The guitar work is lush and suggestive. The song is lightly-structured, smooth and accomplished, picking up in a controlled way. The sad, story-telling reflection evokes comparison with Porcupine Tree. “Under the Pillow” reflects the real world and “watching too much daytime tv” before wandering off into its dreamy ethereal reflection and emotional heights. Softness and delicacy never go away but there is humour too, even if it’s ensconced in black realism. “#Addicted” is a delightful song with modernity” “Hashtag me and go, cos I’m addicted to your love … I’m afraid you’re the only friend I’ve got”. It’s a virtual reality but the vocalist, accompanied by great harmonies, sings of “dreaming inside out … feeling inside out”. Each track reflects vulnerability and sentimentality. It all ends with “Found (The Unexpected Flaw of Searching”)”, which portrays the overall sadness. We’d gone full circle from “Lost” to “Found” but ironically perhaps “Found” was lost on me as I was still recovering from the awesomeness of “Time Traveller” which preceded it.

Riverside have deliberately moved away from the heavier end of the spectrum here. Personally, I wished they had pushed the boundaries out further. Even so, they have managed once again to create an album of great delicacy, skill and impact.

(8.5/10 Andrew Doherty)

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