Writing for a music webzine gets you to discover little hidden gems on regular occasions if you’re open to that. Last year I discovered a Finnish rock band that sounds basically like a new Led Zeppelin, namely Blue Eyed Sons (for the review of their EP go here) when they supported Shiraz Lane live. They in turn got me to discover yet another amazing rock band when they took them along on a small Finnish tour. That band is the Swedish The Riven and when I saw them play their music I was very impressed. So much so, that I immediately got me their EP Blackbird to add to my collection and ever since it’s been playing here on regular occasions, I wouldn’t want to keep this great, possibly unknown band hidden from you.
What really captivated me in their music was the raw yet smooth bluesy rock sound topped off with the impressive vocals by Charlotta Ekebergh. The overall feel and sound reminded me immediately of the rawness of early work by their country mates Blues Pills and just like the comparison has often been made in their case, Charlotta‘s vocals carry a lot of Janis Joplin‘s spirit in them. Those vocals are also their biggest strength at the moment. The music isn’t bad at all and the musicians clearly are talented songwriters, but it’s mostly when Charlotta opens her mouth that the tracks really come to life. Especially in the tracks Tower, the higher paced Killer On The Loose and the slowly building up closing track One Last Time her talent and capabilities really shine through in her versatile voice, with powerful smokiness and raw rebelliousness.
The mix has a quite high standard for a self-released EP and I love the really big and clear role of the bass in it besides the driving drums and groovy guitar riffs. Also the cover artwork by Dutch artist Maarten Donders and vinyl looking disk really bring this release to a high quality and a level of care that many starting bands only can hope for. A really strong effort from a band that could become something big. So if you weren’t satisfied by the latest release of Blues Pills and hunger for that old school raw blues rock sound, I’d strongly recommend you to check The Riven out! I’m already looking forward to what else will get thrown our way from these guys!
Release date: April 14th, 2017
Label: self-released
Tracklist:
1. Ain’t No Doctor
2. Tower
3. Blackbird
4. Killer On The Loose
5. One Last Time
