River Deep - River Deep

Saturday 1st August 1998
River Deep - River Deep
River Deep - River Deep

STYLE: Pop
RATING 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 4771-742
LABEL: Independent
FORMAT: CD EP
ITEMS: 1
RRP: £6.75

Reviewed by Jim McManus

One of the refreshing sounds to an ear is music that's not tied down to a particular style.  On the strength of their second EP ('Sometimes' EP came out in '96) River Deep are in this category and their latest offering has various surprising influences popping up.  You can hear the refreshment in the hip hop rhythms of "This Is Love", the jazzy blues feel of "Free" and the driving rock guitar and sampling of the re-recorded instrumental "Sci Fi Soap Box".  The purist frowns upon this synergy because it ain't exactly rock or soul or dance but then the purist always had the best designer blindfolds.  The production is of professional class (as is the packaging) and the joining point throughout the whole six tracks are the infectious hooks - I even found myself humming the instrumental track!  "This Is Love" is gorgeous with its lazy beat, melodic dips and rises and feels so complete it puts me in mind of some of the Tribe's hip hop ventures.  The mixture of styles and conviction of musical belief is initially a lonely path but it's on that road that followers become leaders and this band have the potential to lead.  River Deep are British, they are good and if they continue with their music they will become excellent 'cause they know where their inspiration comes from.  This is neat, "I see you fly through my mind/For just a fraction of time/But that's all I desire to keep me grooving".

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.

Sample Track Listing:
1. Mind Games [Listen]
2. Greatest Thing [Listen]
3. This Is Love [Listen]

This track data is supplied by the Cross Rhythms CD/DVD review library. Please note that CD tracks may vary according to release region or product version.

Reader Comments

Posted by Bass Masta in Hampshire @ 19:13 on Oct 15 2007

they play at our church



The opinions expressed in the Reader Comments are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms.

Add your comment

We welcome your opinions but libellous and abusive comments are not allowed.












We are committed to protecting your privacy. By clicking 'Send comment' you consent to Cross Rhythms storing and processing your personal data. For more information about how we care for your data please see our privacy policy.