The duo River Lucifer, comprising Singe and Snicken (Stonewall Noise Orchestra) present their self- titled album, out now, on Daredevil Records, on digital and vinyl.
These passionate Swedes have created a fusion of dark pop, rock, blues and gospel, themed around straightforward, but poignant, yet hopeful issues.
RL only formed in 2023, though S and S have worked together before, in SNO.
A complete session and/or live line-up may materialise, in future. Meantime, S and S are preparing for acoustic show sets, this year.
‘RL’ was recorded at Studio 454 Borlange, Sweden, produced at Ofelia Productions and Music-a-Matic, Gothenburg, Sweden, by Tobbe Bovik and Henryk Lipp and composed by RL.
Dying To Be Free – Heavy acoustic riff intro, with wave effect joining the vocals. Spiritual lyrics. Good strong production sound. Just a bit tricky to get into, from a rock perspective. Slightly repetitive chorus. That ending’s a bit of a lawnmower effect.
Hello Spider – Lighter-hearted opening, heavily plucked strings work well with that blues piano and groove. This has got a better kick to it. A bit Jools Holland-esque – always a good thing, in my book. A stronger, fuller vocal section, here. More lyrical and melodic meat on the bones. That groove riff really works; forming the central basis. Smooth fade-out.
Her Majesty The Night – Toning it down, a tad, to a lighter theme, now. This has got a clear acoustic style and sound. Good solid drum beats. It’s a little dull and slow, in places, in the latter sections. Still, it’s well performed.
Submarine Vacation – Heavier, more upbeat opening. A slight campsite feel, here and there, with a surf rock atmosphere, in other places. Something of a Lou Reed echo, too. This one’s far more pop than rock. Again, though the delivery’s decent, it’s one that’s likely to appeal more to niche audiences and the closing tambourine shake just feels like a bit too little, a bit too late.
Back To Anger – A pleasant twang to the intro riff. Gentle atmospherics. Well harmonised. There’s a slight Eagles essence to this, at times, with a strangely contrasting Loaded essence, in others. A delivery as strong as the rest. It’s just a bit lacklustre, structurally and tonally.
River Lucifer – Climbing up, to a higher, faster pace. Catchier emphasis, straight away. A sound blending folk rock with blues. That works better. The whole atmosphere intrigues. This is going in a whole edgier direction. Ending a tad too soon, but leaving it on a sense of anticipation.
The Moon Is My Witness – Intro’ing on a heavier blues emphasis. Bringing in an accordion sound, injecting more variety. Becoming lighter and heavier, in equal measure. Well executed, again, but it’s just a bit winsome and lacking in excitement.
The Night Before The End – Harder riff opening. Darker lyrical content. So a pattern of lighter track, heavier track, emerging. Here, there’s a slight rhythmic catch and a darker underpinning. Perfectly good musicianship. Again, though, it’s missing that spark.
Driving – Utilising a touch of reverb, at the outset. Easily accessible rhythm, with a country rock feel. While it does have a strong vocal force, its structure and lyrical contents are only likely to appeal to a very small minority of the rock community.
Perfect Wave – Good follow-up intro. Returning to that Lou Reed-esque echo, adding a slightly more experimental emphasis. It’s at least heavier than the last track, with something of a lyrical and melodic hook. More art rock essence to this one. Possibly, likely to be the most relatable track; so well-placed, as the closer. Whilst there’s a slight melancholic streak, it generally sustains the mood. It does drag, a bit, at the end, though.
Overall – It’s fair to say that ‘River Lucifer’ is likely to appeal most to the audiences it’s gospel inclinations were designed for. Whilst it’s consistently well executed, from a musical perspective, with good supporting production standards, it’s frequently dull, droning and monotonous, from most other angles. ‘RL’ does attempt to deliver some variety, from one track to another, which works, on some levels. However, there are wasted opportunities to turn some of its heavier tracks into more appealing sounds. Very technically proficient, but unlikely to work, for most rock fans and missing those vital hooks.
4/10 ****
For fans of Lord, Muddy Moonshine, Lou Reed, Dan Reed Network, The Eagles, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Autumn Killers, Jools Holland, Duff McKagan’s Loaded.
Rock Queen Reviews 
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