Riverstate
I’ve Got Yours EP

Riverstate survive an early moment of ‘Every Little Thing She Does is Magic’ and take things in a different direction for most of ‘Just Love’, which actually sounds a little like Deacon Blue crossed with Keane.

Things get a little Supertramp for the intro to ‘Doubter’, utilising that trademark keyboard sound and style but overlaying vocals that bring to mind The Feeling.

‘Bangkok’ has one of the nicest guitar parts ever, swarming all over the intro in magnificent tunefulness and summing up this pop anthem perfectly. This is well and truly the most original song on the record and it really shines.

Riverstate are assimilators, taking an influence and drawing something out of it until the song sounds largely their own. It’s probably worth being a bit careful (didn’t The Verve lose all the cash for ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ because four bars came from a Stones song?) but ‘Bangkok’ really saves the day.

Written by Fenton on 11th August 2007

Steve Fenton writes in our music, words, and culture categories. He was Editor in Chief for The Mag and covered live music for DV8 Magazine and Spill Magazine. He was often found in venues throughout the UK alongside ace-photographer, Mark Holloway. Steve is also a technical writer and programmer and writes gothic fiction. Steve studied Psychology at OSC, and Anarchy in the UK: A History of Punk from 1976-1978 at the University of Reading.

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