Don't mess with a recipe that works. WHEN RIVER MEETS follow this way of thinking and "Aces are high" is another rock/blues album focused on Grace's vocal strength and Aaron's prolific riffs. From the opener "Infected" a groovy mid tempo rocker, the main basics are here in abundance, Grace passionate as ever and Aaron building around her voice a strong, solid, monolithic riff with echoes form LED ZEPPELIN and a San Francisco aura.
"Seen it all before" is the first album highlight with its groove and the contrast between guitar and the melodies of Grace, a heavy slow blues rocker that crawls before it grabs you with its memorable riff. Mid tempo groovy and catchy, with a raw distorted riff, "Play my game" has Grace shining with her vocal delivery and the massive backing vocals at the chorus, a song ready for stage and sing a long. "Golden" has Aaron taking the lead vocals and a 90s alternative/americana feeling over some nice finger picking on the guitar, before Gace takes the lead and continues in a sentimentally fueled ballad. The mid pace keeps on but is the stripped down approach in songs like "Aces are high" that gives extra depth to the contrast between the mass heavy riffs and the ethereal female lead vocals. Aaron has another turn into the lead vocals in another groovy blues rocker at "Trail to Avalon". The slide guitar and the JimmyPage inspired riffs are scattered all over the songs accompanied by a groovy yet minimalistic rhythm section, a bit of field blues meeting the Delta blues, a formula working perfectly for WHEN RIVERS MEET
. The pace speed at rocking "Perfect strangers" and sums at a melodic chorus that stays a long time after the end of the song. On the contrary with other bands, WHEN THE RIVER MEETS prefer to keep the faster, stronger songs for the end of the album and "The secret" is one of them, a modern blues rocker n the vein of THE WHITE STRIPES with slide guitar and dressed up in distortion. When the couple gets in the duet waters they create small masterpieces like "By your side" a stripped down, emotional acoustic ballad with country colors, that fly the colors of love high. A marching blues rocker "5 until midnight" , groovy with excellent guitars, ends the album as another mid tempo icebreaker which explodes at the chorus.
WHEN THE RIVERS MEET are maximizing their songwriting formula. The album is full of riff driven, mid tempo blues rockers and really raises the question for the next album, can they set themselves out of their comfort zone where they're so successful but also predictable?
7.5
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