Album Details

• Artist: Chris Riffle
• EP:
Another Dream
• Label: Independent
• Year of Release: 2012
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: carlito on 2012-09-09

What a beautiful EP.  Those are strong words for me.  An EP usually pisses me off.  If it's bad, it's bad.   But if it's good, than it's too short.  But when it's really good, I overlook the brevity.  Such is the case with singer/songwriter Chris Riffle's latest, Another Dream.

A collection of six songs packed with so much soul and emotion, I listened without skipping a single track (a big deal for me, by the way).  The thing is, Chris isn't just folksy.  These aren't merely acoustic guitar songs; they are deeply intimate with lots of sounds and instruments represented, including piano, bass, drums, and so forth.  But its sleight of hand lies within its subtlety.  Its ability to move slowly, and not be in your face, but rather grip and pull you in to its magic.

My favorite tracks by far on here are "All That We Hold" and "Another Dream".  The first is a smooth and catchy number that builds momentum in increments.  Really nice opener that got me excited for the rest to come. 

The title track is as dreamy as its name.  Its partly because of Chris's soft vocal sensibilities, but also the pace and music itself is as relaxed as an infant sleeping.  He's also a strong lyricist.  I didn't find any overused poetic clichés.  But rather, I was charmed by his simple and reflective approach, with lines like, "In the end, where do we go?  Into the ground, just like the snow."

Mucically, Chris Riffle is a powerful force of nature.  A quiet storm, but a storm nonetheless.  I found Another Dream to be like food for the soul (talk about clichés). Basically, it's short and sweet.  But certainly more sweet than short.

User Reviews and Comments