Nothing Ever Happens To Me
Self-Released, 2020
8/10
Listen to Nothing Ever Happens To Me
Montreal’s Deep Rivers aren’t your typical folk rock band. For starters, they incorporate violins, violas and synth into their formula, and while they’re capable of vulnerable intimacy, they’re also able to produce sonically challenging indie-rock that you can’t help but be in awe of.
“Straight Shooter” starts the album with emotive acoustic strumming as plenty of atmosphere enters the folk-friendly climate, and “No More Mister Nice Guy” follows with a more firm approach as a lush landscape builds into a haunting, almost prog-rock climate.
In the middle, “When The Money’s Gone” is both bare and full as plenty of soaring textures and no shortage of hooks are present, while “Nothing Ever Happens To Me” is a sparse and eloquent display of timeless, stripped back rock that eventually adds marching band style drumming alongside strategic ambience. “Keeping Up”, one of the record’s best, then showcases Deep Rivers’ curious brand of melancholy amid much pensiveness that may remind you of Radiohead.
The last 2 tracks don’t disappoint either, and include the soothing strings and Elliott Smith-ish guitars of “Bottle Of Rye”, and “Maybe Someday” finishes the listen with double bass from Mathieu Désy on the synth fueled, dreamy and nearly jazz like exit
An album with an immense amount of depth and that is subtly very meticulous. Nothing Ever Happens To Me settles in quite nicely on the first listen, and gets even better with subsequent spins, while defying easy classification in all the best ways.
Travels well with: Big Fox- See How The Light Falls; Jules Maxwell- Songs From The Cultural Backwater