review new Rivherside by Norman Darwen for BluesInTheSouth:
French blues artist Renaud Villet a.k.a. Rivherside released his well-received first album in 2012, and a couple of years later this one man band from Clermont-Ferrand decided to mix hip hop and electro sounds with his blues. Stop! Don’t go away just yet… take a listen to ‘Albert Dre Jr.’ which offers Albert King licks over a harsh urban beat, or ‘Come Over Here’, with its trance like backing combining with an R. L. Burnside styled approach; so too does ‘Muddy Water’, which also has a rap from TDP. ‘I’m Going Away’ is a John Lee Hooker-ish performance, with the low in the mix vocals adding to the boogie approach, whilst ‘Need To Speed’ is a slab of manic rock and roll and ‘Paranoid’ is a tough blues-rocker. The pace slows again for the folky ‘See How They Shine’, then ‘Skinny Woman’ is a gritty-toned Fred McDowell flavoured piece (plus effects) and ‘Treat Me Right’ hits another powerful blues groove. The set closes out with Dave Crowe and LigOne guesting on ‘Who You’re Talking To’, with the electronic effects pretty noticeable here. OK, I realise that this release is not going to be to everyone’s taste but if you like your blues modern, unafraid to take risks and with a bit of an edge, do investigate this.