Dry The River are a British five-piece band formed in 2009 and since hearing them a few months back I have waited impatiently for their debut album.
The band create songs that are a mix of folk and rock. Certain elements may remind listeners of the Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver. Lead singer Peter Liddle manages to distinguish himself with his unique voice, a delicate and melodic mirror to the heavier guitar riffs in songs like Weights and Measures and Bible Belt, yet capable of matching the intensity and pace of the music so his voice never gets drowned out.
The most appealing thing about Shallow Bed are the harmonies Liddle and his band mates achieve in all their songs and the melodies Liddle carries on his own that give the songs beautiful flow and staying power in the minds of listeners and hours later Liddles melodies will gently float back in to the listener’s mind. It’s the well formed harmonies along side the strong drums,heavy guitars and classic violin that make each song different yet just as interesting and powerful as the last.
From months of listening to various professional recordings and live versions of songs like Weights and Measures,Bible Belt and New Ceremony, I think the live versions are better than those on the album. The subtle changes in composition work better and are more catchy in the live versions than those on the album so it was a minor let down in the quality of these songs.
Over all Shallow Bed is one stunning debut album and Dry the River were one of Vevo’s top bands to watch in 2012. They were right to include them in their list with an album as strong as this. Dry the River have created something that sounds like they have been around a lot longer than they have and it’s clear that they know exactly what they’re doing with a sound that is distinctively their own.
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