Riverside - One (1992)

Riverside's One is one of the prettiest albums of the early ‘90s. Considering that it was released during the peak of the grunge revolution, its lack of commercial success was inevitable. There is no screaming nor feedback-drenched guitars on One; the members of Riverside didn't sport long hair or goatees, and they probably never wore flannel. Strip away the CD's copyright date and it could easily be mistaken for a 1988 release. There's nothing wrong with that. One is suspended by shimmering guitars a la the Wild Swans and the Ocean Blue. (Since One was produced by former Ocean Blue keyboardist Steve Lau, perhaps the latter comparison should be no surprise.) Songs seem to float into one another; after a few tracks, the album begins to feel like one lengthy song. While the band seems to mine the same ethereal riffs in every track, the boyish innocence in the vocals and lyrics and the luminous beauty of the music are undeniably relaxing. The ringing guitars in "Waterfall," "General Nature," and "James" cast a hypnotic spell. The bouncy percussion of "Cinnamon Eyes" and the pulsating bass of "James" add character to Riverside's relentlessly atmospheric textures. Riverside expose their late-‘80s new wave influences so blatantly that it sounds like the group is paying homage to them; fans of the Wild Swans, the Ocean Blue, the Church, U2, Echo & the Bunnymen, and the Railway Children will be hooked. (by Michael Sutton) 

One
1992
RIVERSIDE
Glenn Kochan, Keith Kochan, Kenneth Jackson 

Bit rate: 192kbps

Track Listing

1. "Waterfall" (3:30)
2. "General Nature" (4:35) 
3. "Cinnamon Eyes" (3:43) 
4. "Galaxie" (4:03) 
5. "Careful Light" (4:02) 
6. "A Slow Fall" (4:26)
7. "Mansfield Park" (3:46)
8. "Always" (3:50) 
9. "Follow Me" (3:40) 
10. "James" (3:59)

CREDITS

Art Direction – JoDee Stringham 
Bass, Vocals, Words By – Glenn Kochan 
Drums – Jonathan Liney Engineer – Peter Keppler 
Engineer [Assitant Mix] – Carl Glanville 
Guitar – Kenneth Jackso
Management – Dennis Oppenheimer 
Mastered By – George Marino 
Mixed By – Jay Healy 
Music By – Riverside (tracks: 1 to 9) 
Percussion [Additional] – Robert Sherwood 
Photography By – Kristine Larsen 
Producer – Steve Lau 
Vocals, Guitar – Keith Kochan 
Marketed By – Warner Bros. Records Inc. 
Made By – WEA Manufacturing Phonographic 
Copyright (p) – Sire Records Company 
Copyright (c) – Sire Records Company 
Recorded At – Long View Farm Studios 
Mixed At – The Hit Factory 
Mastered At – Sterling Sound 
 Recorded at Long View Farm, Massachusetts, February/March 1992. 
Mixed at The Hit Factory, NYC, April 1992. 
Mastered at Sterling Sound, NYC. 
 ©℗ Sire Records Company, marketed by Warner Bros. Records Inc., a Time Warner Company. Made in U.S.A.