Conceiving You

This single is for completists only as it has only one unreleased song, not even a particularly great one, by Riverside standards at least. But this aside, this single contains a couple of trully excellent prog rock songs (with the emphasis on the word 'song' here). The first two tracks are taken from the band's second full length and are the most radio-friendly songs on the album.

"Conceiving You" is a beautiful, piano-based song with a great vocal performance. It's short, it's to the point, it's essentially simple (basically, the verse-chosus-solo-etc. structure). In general, Riverside do not suffer from the all too common Dream Theatre-syndrome plaguing many prog rock bands today, and they are able to keep their more song oriented material concise and thus effective. Another element that makes Riverside stand outt is the abundance of hooks and the memorable melodies. "Conceiving You" has this beautiful little guitar solo (at 1:18) backed up by an addictive chorus melody. Lyrically, it reflects the state of mind after a relationship break-up, when you can neither get over the past, nor begin a life with someone else. The lyrics, like the music, are simple but well-written and do not fall into the trap of meaninglessness on the one hand and whining on the other, which is often the case with relationship-related lyrics.

"I Turned You Down" is based on a bass riff and has a powerful chorus with an excellent use of Hammondish keyboards and nicely processed vocals. The lead guitar and vocals in the verses are really touching and in the middle of the song there is a part with heavier guitars and atmospheric keyboards that fits the song very well. Lyrically, well, the title is self-explanatory, it's about regret and memories of something (a relationship) lost. Again, simple but heartfelt lyrics.

The last piece, "The Piece Reflecting the Mental State of One of the Members of Our Band" is the weakest track here and the only non-album one. It is basically an instrumental in the Dream Theater vain, with all over the place keyboards and guitar solos, fast pace and tricky time signatures. It is short, quite entertaining, technical (but not extremely so) and doesn't seem to be a really serious effort. It wouldn't fit on any Riverside album, so a single is a perfect place for it. Overall, a typical b-side, not bad at all but not great either.

So, this is prog rock of the 'radio friendly' kind at its finest: beautiful, sincere music. All Riverside musicians are highly proficient at their respective instruments, the production is excellent so all the instruments can be heard perfectly and the sound is powerful. And the vocals: one of the best in the genre. Mariusz Duda is truly amazing, no high-pitched wailing here but a powerful, melodic delivery and a very pleasant timbre.

Buy it if you want a sample of Riverside music or if you are a completist. Or just buy their "Second Life Syndrome" album, you won't be dissapointed.