Dry the River: Weights & Measures EP

Fronted by medical student Peter Liddle, East London five-piece Dry the River were never destined to be a simplistic musical project. In replace of minimalist chord patterns and generic indie-pop hooks, we are presented with complex layered harmonies that crescendo to anthemic choruses.

The desperately impassioned "Weights & Measures" from which the EP takes its name, carries with it a hymnal solemnity. Simultaneously depressing and curiously cathartic, there is an undeniable touch of Bon Iver in the subtle darkness of lyrics such as, ‘I was prepared to love you and never expect anything of you’.

Dry the River’s dramatically intense style can at times verge on the overly grandiose, an element guaranteed to divide critics. "Bible Belt" however, provides a soporific contrast to the theatrical, recorded in an acoustic session and hence lacking that often-superficial studio polish. A lullaby of ‘wintry calm’, this track is a poignant elegy to the lost fire of youth.

Covering Josh T. Pearson’s beautiful "Thou Art Loosed", the quintet arguably detract from the intimacy of the original. They do so artistically however, as the echoing harmonious round of ‘don’t cry for me babe, you’ll learn to live without me’ creates a quasi-transcendental effect, reminiscent of a candelight vigil or séance. The closing motif of ‘I’m off to save the world’ could well be dubiously bombastic in many cases; with Dry the River you find yourself hypnotically believing every word.

There are dazzling moments on this EP that present Dry the River as a band desiring to escape genre restrictions and expectations. However, whilst a sense of aching urgency is often most powerful when suppressed, they at times risk emotionally saturating their listeners. "Bible Belt" for instance, begins beautifully yet lacks the magical lustre heard on "Family Tree", perhaps because it fails to reach the climax anticipated throughout.

The highlights, for the most part, dominate this record’s relatively few weaknesses, proving that the time has surely come for Dry the River to quit flirting with EPs and make that first album move. They’ve no need to fear rejection; we’re already seduced.


Dry the River's official music video for "Weights & Measures"

Originally published by The Harker: www.theharker.com/2011/11/22/music-dry-the-rivers-weights-and-measures/