Search - Patrick O'Hearn :: River's Gonna Rise

Very happy new age stuff

Javier Navas | Milenrama, Madrid | 11/11/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of the two only albums I own from this nice bassist and keyboardist. There is a feeling of joy and freshness in every track of the album. The quality of the sounds is amazing and the variety of percussions is probably the biggest I've found.The first track, `Homeward Bound', is a very groovy and happy tune, with nice electric guitar and synths. The perfect beginning for an optimistic album, with a very airy and dynamic feel. It's like a joyful travel home...`The Stroll' is a very clever, quieter tune, with predominant synths and bass, and some strong percussion crashes. Sounds like a very urban song, one of those ones that make you feel you've got lost in an unknown district and you enjoy discovering new places.`Glory for Tomorrow' is one of the best tunes, including the very personal style from the guest trumpet player Mark Isham. A very nice guitar riff gets followed by the rest of the instruments, and Isham's mute trumpet draws a very quiet melody, with some nice ascending scales. Then comes a big part where a normal trumpet and the synths scream a very simple but effective melody.I've always loved those synthesiser chords at the beginning of `Acadia'. It's like the drawing of a deep landscape after which comes the very driving rhythm of the song. This is another very happy song, with nice sounds and a very nice and simple melody on the `chorus'.`Forgiveness' is a very melancholic, slow and deep song with nice synthesisers again and a very heartfelt fretless bass melody. It's a short song but works in balancing the mostly dynamic and rhythmic feel of the album.`April Fool' is a very fast song with full percussion and strange synthesiser sounds. The whole song is crazy because it's full of strangeness and unexpected sounds, like the `Ooooh's' that seem to come from a tribe somewhere in the world.`Reunion' seems to be a continuation of Acadia because it starts with the same synthesiser sound but describing a melody that's happy and melancholic at the same time. This song is a very positive one, with all those curious synthesiser sounds, and a funny melody from the bass.`A Brief Repose' is similar to `Forgiveness' but even more static and almost silent. Isham's trumpet describes a really meditative state and the quality of it is outstanding... a very remarkable song.`Subtle Persuation' sounds darker than the rest of the songs, but is very interesting as well. The electric guitar from Alex Acuña unfolds a very elegant and captivating melody... and at the end sound the opening melody of `Homeward Bound'...The last song, `Portobello Docks' describes a very sunny and shiny place and at a whole it's a great end for the overall happy feeling of the album. Peaceful and serene, just like a morning after a stormy night, adds as well a certain nostalgic feel... This is surely the best choice for getting into the music of Patrick O'Hearn... listen to it and if you like nice instrumental music this will light your day."

O'Hearn's daytime album

Distant Voyageur | Io | 02/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 1988 opus from O'Hearn is a great follow-up to the extravagant "Between Two Worlds". Similar in sound and production, "River's Gonna Rise" is arguably O'Hearns more upbeat, brightest, and sunniest in mood, totally opposite in mood to "Indigo" and "Trust", this is probably the easiest album to get into. The album cover does kind of portray the mood of the album: daytime. "Homeward Bound" starts the set with a very upbeat, sunny afternoon, and joyous sound and an eclectic blend of New Age, jazz, and some pop. It's probably the sunniest song that Patrick has ever recorded and a great one too. "The Stroll" is a mellower and less sunny in mood and more of a cloudy afternoon song. I often play this when it's cloudy on a summer afternoon. This is a very pleasant song. Kind of reminds me of "Life Along The River Vaal" from "Ancient Dreams". "Glory For Tomorrow" is a jazzier song with a gorgeous soaring climax with it's marching drums, synthesizers, and trumpet playing kind of like soaring above the landscape on a sunny afternoon. I love hearing the song mellow down during the last 50 seconds before finally ending. "Acadia" is a more upbeat, strongly electronic, New Age groove with a spacier atmosphere. "Forgiveness" is one of the darkest songs on the album but it's still a relatively daytime mood song in general although more of a cloudy late afternoon in mood. It starts with mesmerizing ghostly keyboards and builds into a serene jazzy song. "April Fool" is the most upbeat song on the entire album. The song starts with electronic jazz intro and becomes an exotic, upbeat, and semi-danceable song with an astounding blend of New Age, dance, jazz, and a little pop. The song even has a bit of a tropical feel to it too. "Reunion" is another standout song on the CD. It starts with a jazzy crescendo for about 1 and a half minutes before keyboards come in and the song becomes a jazzy and upbeat song with a sunny and joyous major note feel to it. I would even go far as to say that it could've even made a small dent on the pop charts. "A Brief Repose" is the darkest and most eerie song on the entire album. It's a mix of ambiences of guitars, haunting keyboards, and beautiful trumpet playing. I often think of walking through a path through the woods in a city when I listen to this gorgeous song as I think if this being a mix of urban and earthy all in one. "Subtle Persuasion" is an eerie New Age song with a slight spice of worldly xylophones against a backdrop of haunting ambient melody, slow rhythm, and electronic keyboards. This song has a very foggy daytime mood to it IMO. The closing track "Portobello Locks" is a calm sunshine afternoon song with a jazzy and mellow atmosphere almost like making it home after a long journey and the sun's rays shining through the windows. From my knowledge, this album is sadly out-of-print in most places and is difficult to find. While it's not the best of what Patrick has offered, it's still a must-have just for the fact that it's now so difficult to find. This album is worth the hard search and is truly for the fans of the brighter side of O'Hearn's musical spectrum. It's completely opposite to the dark, desolation of his masterpiece "Indigo" and the electronic spacey feel of "Between Two Worlds" but "River's Gonna Rise" makes a wonderful compliment to the latter with similar sounds but contrasting atmosphere. Buy this album. Buy all of O'Hearn's albums. They are all worth it. :-)"

Track list in simple form

Trading Pages | McNeil, TX | 06/18/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"1. Homeward Bound

2. The Stroll

3. Glory For Tomorrow

4. Acadia

5. Forgiveness

6. April Fool

7. Reunion

8. A Brief Repose

9. Subtle Persuasion

10. Portobello Locks



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