by Frank Ippolito
Haunting. Stirring. Dramatically emotional. Those are just a few of the feelings that hit me as I listened to We don’t remember the dream but the dream remembers us from The Riveras.
I first listened to the songs during a very heavy downpour of rain so the mood was already set. From the very onset of the very first note, I was intrigued. The Riveras (Chad Kaffer on guitar, Douglas Berry on drums, Brad Wandrey on bass, Allison Galbreath on cello, and Jody Lew on violin and vocals) are the definition of dynamics.
There’s a subtle orchestration that conjures up a sense of weightlessness, but is still grounded and foreboding – thanks to the interplay of Galbreath’s cello, Berry’s drums, and Wandrey’s bass.
Kafner’s guitar work throughout the disc is a study in minimalism. A feat that is to be applauded because it could get very heavy-handed very quickly. Plus, the relationship between the guitar and Lew’s violin is superb. Speaking of Lew… her vocals perfectly compliment the music.
My favorite track off the 5-song record is “Black Box”. Here, urgent drums lead the way, eventually giving way to the other instruments, with Lew’s vocals filling in the missing pieces.
In talking with Kaffer, he told me that there are a couple more songs on the way. My advice: Don’t wait for a rainy day to give this a listen. Check out We don’t remember the dream but the dream remembers us here today.
