Artists | Issues | CD Reviews | Interviews | Concert Reviews | DVD/Video Reviews | Book Reviews | Who We Are | Staff | Home
 
Progressive Rock CD Reviews

River Guerguerian

Grooves for Odd Times

Review by Gary Hill

OK, this might not fit into the category of progressive rock. It’s more world music with an emphasis on the percussion. I have to mention that I’m not a big fan of drumming, but I do like this. That says a lot. Wherever you figure this belongs, it’s a disc that’s quite unusual and interesting and worth giving a chance.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2012  Volume 1 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Boulevard

Percussion opens this and after a time other instrumentation is added to fill out the arrangement a bit. It’s got a stripped down approach and a textural meets world music and jazz sound.

Twenty Three Beats
This is far more tribal. It’s very busy in terms of the percussion.
She Walked In
This piece is far more melodic than the earlier ones. Yes, the percussion remains active, but this is a pretty and powerful piece and the best to this point on the disc.
Seven Tambourines
Including some non-lyrical vocals, this is an even more involved number. It’s got tons of percussion, but also plenty of melody and drama to go along with it.
Gong Lab

This is far more exploratory and spacey. It certainly qualifies as space music, and perhaps as space rock.

Odd Reflection

More purely percussive, this is an interesting piece.

Seventeen Eights
The percussive focus is forefront here on this number.
Overture Six

Coming in spacey, this grows out from there. It’s the most blatantly progressive rock oriented piece to this point.

Mud People
There’s a real rock groove to this piece. It’s a tasty number that’s among the best on the album.
Ten for You
Sort of stripped down jazz meets world music drives this piece. There are some cool rhythmic movements. It definitely gets a bit weird as it continues.
Overture

Spacey and percussive, this tune is similar to the rest of the material here, but the song is also unique.

 
More CD Reviews
Metal/Prog Metal
Non-Prog
Progressive Rock
 
Google

   Creative Commons License
   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

    © 2024 Music Street Journal                                                                           Site design and programming by Studio Fyra, Inc./Beetcafe.com