By The Rivers
I’m going to start this post by mentioning a couple of words which have been known to strike fear into the hearts of music lovers the world over. I thought it was only fair that I warn you so that you can be prepared for the instinctive recoil-in-horror which many will experience: White Reggae.
Phew. Now we’ve got that unpleasantness out of the way, I want you to remove all thoughts of Sting, UB40 and… *shudders*… Mick Hucknall from your mind, because By The Rivers are actually really good!
By The Rivers are a six-piece reggae outfit from Leicester. Formed in May 2010, the band have leapt from strength to strength at an impressive rate having supported the likes of Buzzcocks, Toploader and Fun Lovin’ Criminals. Within the last year By The Rivers have released a duology* of EPs imaginatively titled 1 and 2. Not only are they beautifully designed collections (the elegantly minimalist artwork is really ace!) they are exquisite examples of modern, yet timeless; intelligent yet simple; accomplished, yet catchy British reggae music.
Just look at it... beautiful.
EP 1
Released in August 2010, 3 months after the band formed it is clear that founding members and song writers Nile Barrow and Jordan Birtles knew exactly what they were doing from the start. Opening with the bouncy horn riff of This Love, the listener is left with no questions about what this music is for. This EP is a soundtrack to improve your summer and to drastically increase your tendency to skank. Featuring a guest sax solo from John Barrow so cool and laid-back, I imagine they had to check, in the studio, that he was still awake! The way the chorus floats seamlessly over the horn riff is a testament to the excellent song crafting skills of Barrow and Birtles’ (That sounds like a old department store…) and the EP’s producer Peri Birtles. Some equally excellent work can be found in the intro to What’s A Man To Do which is vaguely reminiscent of some punkier ska bands such as the awesome Streetlight Manifesto. The EP reaches a fantastic crescendo with You Got It Wrong. A superb demonstration of the timelessness of the classic reggae sound and By The Rivers’ brilliantly artful interpretation of it.
EP 2
Given that the two EPs are separated only by a matter of months, the contrast in sound which hits you within the first few seconds is striking. The harmonies are tighter, the production is slicker and the writing is more adventurous. Opening with the close harmony chorus of Vulture, 2 is immediately arresting as it nails it’s funky colours to the mast. The interweaving vocal lines of this initial track is, I think, emblematic of the new complexities in the fabric of By The Rivers’ sound.
I mean... just really beautiful!
I couldn’t imagine a better way to close this EP than with Rockseady. The extended horn intro really shows off the skills of Will and Leo the band’s horn section. This song also features a trumpet solo so hot I would advise caution when listening as I fear that having your ears burnt off is a real danger! The pinnacle of the entire EP though is, undoubtedly, Run Around. From the bold, sparse intro; to the funky instrumental section; to the impossibly catchy chorus this track is 3:42 of pure, freshly squeezed, not from concentrate Jamaican-style ska.
Where can I find By The Rivers?
Well, excitingly, in the very near future you will be able to find By The Rivers with 80s British ska giants The Specials! The Leicester lads will be supporting the 2-Tone legends on the entire UK leg of their tour. More immediately than that though, you can skank to some tunes on their Facebook, MySpace or ReverbNation pages. Some live tracks can be found on the band’s YouTube channel, and you may also be interested in hearing some tunes recorded in session with BBC local radio show The Beat. Once you’ve got through all of that lot, you might want to buy the EPs from the By The Rivers Bandcamp page.
Right, I’m of to the hospital for treatment for my 2nd degree aural burns.
Matt
xX
*…apparently ‘duology’ is the word for a series in two parts. Like a ‘trilogy’. I wanted to call it a ‘bilogy’or a ‘twilogy’, but the OED and my spell-check overruled me.
Guitar Strung Revolution 
Excellent, well written and observed review Matt. Thanks a lot. You can come again 😉
Daddy Birtles