Review: Electric River – The Faith & Patience

Electric River - The Faith & PatienceI’d heard very little by Electric River (one streamed track and a single on YouTube, I think) when I interviewed them a couple of weeks ago after their performance in Glasgow. Despite this, their live show grabbed me and the guys themselves were really cool so I was happy when I got sent a copy of the new album, Faith & Patience last week.

Those of you who saw them tour with Lit or on one of the dates afterwards could already have picked it up as they’ve been selling it at the shows. For everyone else, it’s out this Monday… and it’s superb.

No mucking about, this is a cracking listen. I’ll stick with my initial opinion that the closest band I can name sound-wise is The Pogues, though slightly less Irish. Electric River have gone through several phases in their existence, including “proper” punk and ska until they’ve finally settled on a sound they’re prod to call their own. And proud of it they should be.

The Faith & Patience doesn’t have a duff track on it. OK, so it has some that are better than others but I didn’t encounter one where I was thinking “should I just click ‘next’?” Opening with the single (which has a great video, see below) “Calling Out”, the band have gone for variety as not all the tracks have quite this level of punch. It’s a good start, though, and the driving tempo is maintained through the majority of the album.

Some of the tracks are a little melancholy, such as closer “Watersong”, but the band don’t seem to have put anything on the album that doesn’t fit with their sound. There are no “different” songs, shoved in just to show the depth of their repertoire.

If you like your rock with a punky edge, and your riffs catchy with a selection of songs you could bounce to at a gig then look no further. I am genuinely happy that I like the album so much, because they were such a nice bunch to interview. And I’m not saying that just because they gave me a beer.

Honest!

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