Clear guitars and a bright female voice enter my room when I put on “Riverine”, the third album by Autumn’s Grey Solace from Florida. No keyboards or synths were used on this record, so the booklet explicitly states. The duo Scott Ferell (guitar, rhythms) and Erin Welton (vocals) don’t need electronic means to build up a tremendous amount of atmosphere.
You cannot describe this album without using labels like ethereal, shoegazer and dreampop. Therefore familiar names spring to mind: Cocteau Twins, Lush, Love Spirals Downwards. I also have to think of recent Words-on-Music acts like Fiel Garvie and Lorna. Delicate, poetic music which gets me in its spell with apparent ease.
Except for ‘The Unshakable demon’, which suddenly releases unexpected passionate energy in an almost rocking track, most tracks are relatively tranquil. Excellent shimmering guitar textures, lovely heavenly vocals, a decent and modest rhythmic foundation. “Riverine” contains warm, dreamy music and is certainly one of the best releases in its genre.
