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On the group\u2019s 2016 album We All the Light<\/i>, Asheville-based group River Whyless pushed the boundaries of indie folk, its supposed genre. In doing so, the quartet could serve as Exhibit A for the relative meaningless of genre labels: to be sure, what River Whyless does draw from Americana and folk, but neither of those terms scratches the surface of the band\u2019s sound and musical approach.<\/p>\n
Listening to the band\u2019s latest release, Kindness, A Rebel<\/i>, it\u2019s even more difficult to make the case that River Whyless is any one thing musically. Or any two, for that matter. The album opens with \u201cAll of My Friends,\u201d a song that evokes thoughts of both Stevie Nicks (in its commercial feel) and the Roches (in its understated yet ambitious use of folk textures to create something bigger).<\/p>\n
And while there remain plenty of acoustic-based sonic elements on Kindness, A Rebel<\/i>, those now comfortably coexist with more modern textures. Nowhere is this new approach more on display than in the album\u2019s standout single, \u201cBorn in the Right Country.\u201d Stuttering electronic percussion and ever-so-slightly distorted electric guitars are used in the most nuanced way, in service of a moving song that addresses social inequality. (The associated music video is a masterwork as well, expanding on the song\u2019s theme in deft ways.)<\/p>\n
\u201cMotel 6\u201d has a cavernous vibe, with elements of both high-lonesome western country and the grand arrangements of Phil Spector associate Jack Nitzsche. River Whyless\u2019 close vocal harmonies echo Fleet Foxes\u2019 approach, but with a less precious, less mannered (and thus more emotionally resonant) feel. And again, the group\u2019s lyrics are contemplative, addressing ideas that are personal and universal at once.<\/p>\n
\u201cVan Dyke Brown\u201d is another skillful reconciliation of the tension between acoustic and electronic music-making methods; the song has an ambience that strongly recalls Graceland<\/i>-era Paul Simon. And the group leverages its impressive vocal strength on the fetching and hypnotic \u201cFailing Farm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Social issues are never far from the collective minds of River Whyless, but they\u2019re addressed in a way that isn\u2019t preachy; instead, the lyrics of many of the songs on Kindness, A Rebel<\/i> pose useful questions, implicitly encouraging the listener to examine her or his own thoughts on the subjects. And on cuts like \u201cNew Beliefs,\u201d they sound more than a bit like Crosby, Stills Nash & Young while they’re doing it.<\/p>\n
The band is gleefully unafraid to explore new musical territory. An exuberant \u201cwhoo!\u201d joins an insistent electric bass that introduces \u201cThe Feeling of Freedom,\u201d a song rooted as much in speed punk as it is in more, er, rootsier forms.<\/p>\n
That wonderfully reckless approach is applied to River Whyless\u2019 lyrics on \u201cAnother Shitty Party,\u201d a track that weds shimmering vocal harmony, subtle synthesizer patches and a stinging electric guitar solo to what sounds like Laurel Canyon folk rock.<\/p>\n
Yet the album\u2019s adventurousness is balanced with the serious approach of songs like \u201cWar is Kind,\u201d a beautiful meditation. \u201cDarkness in Mind\u201d sounds like a great lost Rumours<\/i>-era Fleetwood Mac track, with some lovely ensemble vocal work.<\/p>\n
After taking listeners on the whirlwind musical trip that is Kindness, A Rebel<\/i>, the group closes its set of 10 songs with \u201cMama, Take Your Time,\u201d a return to the sound of River Whyless\u2019 earlier work. Soaring in its ambition, Kindness, A Rebel<\/i> succeeds at being the most varied and fulfilling work to date from this intriguing band.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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