When it comes to music there aren't too many bands that parents and their children can agree on. Much like comparing great athletes of different generations, the contextual differences lead to countless hours of agreeable disagreement.
With their first full-length release Another World, Rock/Pop rookie sensations, Fallen Riviera bridges a generational gap that continues to grow wider as music is becomes more and more electronic.
The foursome was started by members Will Parry and Steve Ornest, who met while attending Berklee College of Music in Boston. Shortly thereafter they released the EP "Six Mines," which received critical acclaim. Most notably the band was named the 2011 Lauren Picard Emerging Artist of the Year Award at Cornell University.
While "Six Mines" showed raw talent and great potential, the aptly titled Another World serves as the group's true coming out party, displaying a level of depth and musicality that was not quite there yet on their debut EP.
This time around the guys hooked up with legendary producer Ken Scott (The Beatles, Pink Floyd, David Bowie) to create an album that combines soothing harmonies, with emotionally charged vocals and an overall chemistry that's markedly elevated from 2 years ago.
Songs like "Drained," "Move," and the album's first single "Somebody Take me" are more up-tempo, somewhat reminiscent of The Killers, while slower tracks like the piano-heavy, "Remember Me" and the Coldplay-ish "Another World Outside" show the somber side of love and life.
"Those Times Are Gone," is an upbeat, yet somber reminder that time doesn't stand still for anybody. It's the perfect song for a band that is ascending, to savor victories, both large and small.
The album's only miss is "My Last Mistake" which fails to show the same edge and vocal range that is prevalent throughout the rest of the album.
Overall this is an excellent debut and one that shows the underrated value of chemistry between a band and their producer. Perhaps its best qualities are its' timeless sound, which encompasses musical attributes from different eras, and its seamless harmonies.
If this is any indication of what's to come, it's safe to say the best is yet to come for this young band, who has come a long way and yet, with only two short years in the game, is only getting started.
