See Us Now by Riversyde

See Us Now by Riversyde… Have you ever noticed that when you try something new, like a different meat, (Frog, snake, gator, Iguana,) we always compare it to something familiar (i.e. tastes like chicken)? Well, that is what comes to me as I listened to Riversyde’s CD  See Us Now. This Alternative Rock band out of Texas reminds me of Hootie and the Blowfish but with American Idol Winner Phil Phillips as lead singer.  Shane Blake has a rather gravelly vocal quality that gives him an everyday guy kind of feel. There is a generous helping of acoustic and electric guitar supported by drums and a decent bass line. As often happens, I find that I would like to hear the bass a little better ( take note Mr. Sound Engineer) but what I could make out is quite respectable.

Here is the Line up of “Music Makers”: 

• Shane Blake – Lead Vocals and Rhythm Guitar
• Mark Griffor –  Drums and Vocals
• Paul Devassy – Lead Guitar and Keyboard
• Christian Palacio – Bass on tracks 3, 8, 14 and 16, Keyboard and vocals
• Jeff Beasom – Bass on tracks 1-7 and tracks 9-15

The general feel of this CD is upbeat and it seems to me like it could do well on the radio. The music is something you would enjoy as you drive out to the beach or the lake on a nice summers day.

Some standout tracks include:

“Cheers” This track opens with a solid acoustic guitar/drum pace and weaves the tapestry of the tune as the bass and electric guitar join the existing momentum. This is a great sample of the vocals I mentioned before. The following video is stripped down, but you get the idea.

“Whats Love About” has more of that Alternative Rock feel that I expected from a group like this.  Driving power chords and a a pumping three-chord vocabulary in the chorus would make most live crowds jump to the beat.

“Times Like These”  Mixes relevant lyrics with a nice syncopated tempo. The parts with the Vocals with just the Drums are nicely blended with the segments when the whole band jumps in.

“Gravity” has many of the elements that I have mentioned in the previous cuts but has a nice progression that makes you think of flight. There is a loftiness and open sky kind of feel that just makes you feel happy!

So, I think you get the Idea.  We might be hearing a lot more from this promising young band from Texas. With some good marketing, I would expect Riversyde to make it’s mark on the popular charts and be a hit with a younger demographic.

Check out See Us Now for yourself at  Amazon.com

Learn more about Riversyde at riversyde.com