Customer Reviews

My River Flows

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After an agonizing year long wait, IZZ finally brings forth the goods. Some of these tunes have been honed at Cal-Prog and other concerts over the past couple of years, I remember hearing "Crossfire" at Cal-Prog '04. I was immediately stunned at the production quality of MRF, I could FEEL the bass and kick drum, powerful stuff!

There is a lot of growth on this record, as in a more cohesive band, thoughtful lyrical content, individual instrumental prowess and shared duties. Anmarie, Laura and John Galgano share more lead vocal time then on previous albums. John Galgano's voice has improved tremendously and his bass playing is superb, getting a lot of presence to his fills and runs. Greg Dimiceli and Brian Coralian absolutely meld into a single eight limbed octo-drummer, locked in synchronistic harmony. Tom Galgano is in fine voice and, as a lead soloist, plays for the song and doesn't get "over the top." The biggest standout, though, is Paul Bremner. Brems really makes the most of every moment. His tone graces each tune with alternating power chords, deft flurries of razor sharp notes, ebow driven legato and sweet linear runs. Fabulous.

The tunes: Beatlesque melodies appear on Anything I Can Dream and Rose Colored Glasses. Muscular workouts, like Late Night Salvation and My River Flows. An epic showcase of musical twists and turns, choir-like passages, spiritual redemption and the kitchen sink on Deafening Silence. A sweet lullaby, Abby's Song. Social commentary on Deception. The band covers a lot of territory on this release, something for everyone.

I find myself skipping the title track and the finale. Why? For some reason, My River Flows doesn't click between the vocal melody and the chord structure. I felt the same way at Cal-Prog when they opened the show with this song. I can't put my finger on it, but something just doesn't fit. Deafening Silence is a huge tune, very hard to make it through in one sitting. I think it may be a case of a band trying to write an epic, rather than a song that demands it. I could hear DS broken down into three shorter pieces that would have worked much better. Rather than writing their Close to the Edge, they came up with a Tales from the Topographic moment. Too much padding, trying too hard? I don't know. Still, some fantastic interludes.

Why should you own this album? Late Night Salvation may be THE best prog tune of 2005. It is an awesome tune on every level; musically, lyrically, vocally and production quality. I remember the first time I heard Roundabout when I was a kid. I was shocked. LNS gave me that same feeling. Even with the small short-comings, My River Flows is an excellent addition to any prog collection. Cheers Greg!

IZZ rocks!

There is quite a smorgasbord of music on this disc... the rocking "My River Flows", or intricate "Late Night Salvation" (the highlight of the disc) with a brief drum solo, the Beatles influenced "Crossfire" and "Anything I Can Dream", or the atmospheric "Deafening Silence" showcasing some nice female vocals. Izz blends prog with pop and they do it well. The dual drummers never get in each other's way and gel perfectly to provide the foundation for a beefy rhythm section. Also notable is the very tasty electric guitar work throughout the entire disc.

I prefer "I Move" to this disc because it is more rock orientated while this release seems to favor pop, but there is enough variety for all to enjoy.

Izz is one of those "little" bands that you have to pull for and wish they could find a wider audience. They really have quite a unique sound and I have a difficult time coming up with some names of other bands they sound like. At least on their fourth installment, "My River Flows", they occasionally sound to me like the Beatles if the Beatles had hung around and done some Prog.

Izz use some ingredients that make them an interesting and satisfying listen. The band employs a couple of percussionists and they include some female voices in some of their pieces which are very refreshing. They are solid songwriters and good musicians.

I really like their guitarist - Paul "Brems" Bremner. The guy is a major talent. (He pulled off a nice Steve Howe impression on "Close To The Edge" at last year's appearance at CalProg.). I am not sure what he was doing before Izz but I will continue to watch for him in the years to come beyond Izz.

If the world of Prog is divided into Dark and Light, Izz is on the "Lite" side. Sort of a Kino-lite. This may be what keep them from scaling the heights of Prog. They will never be mentioned by "serious" Proggers in the same breath as the Flower Kings, Neal Morse, et al. This is Prog my 23-year-old daughter appreciates (to a certain extent).

That said, there should be a place in your CD collection for Izz. They write solid, smart, beautiful music. They are a nice diversion. And then there is always "Brems".

Tracks:

My River Flows - Begins the proceedings in an almost headbanging fashion. Some nice chunky guitar work by Brems. The song sounds a little disjointed at first but grows on you over time.

Late Night Salvation - This song seems to be getting the most attention even over the album's epic - Deafening Silence. A mini epic itself, one almost hears echoes of Liquid Tension Experiment on the front end.

Rose Colored Lenses - My least favorite tune on the album.
Deception - This is really a satisfying piece. It has a very atmospheric, symphonic feel to it. Includes some nice acoustic guitar work and female voices. Starts soft and subtle and crescendos nicely at the end. Good vocal work by keyboardist Tom Galgano.

Crossfire - An OK song. This is where I hear shades of Abbey Road-era Beatles. Tasteful piano by Tom.

Anything I Can Dream - Again, a little Beatle-esque. Almost a throw away. Sort of like Starlight Man on TFK's "Adam and Eve" but I love it (and I love Starlight Man, too!). OK, I am a sucker for a good hook. John does a good job on vocals and Brems throws in some cool fuzzy guitar lines.

Abby's Song - A little acoustic ditty. This is weird, but I hear Captain Beyond's "Sufficiently Breathless" only this is not quite as good.

Deafening Silence - This is the Cd's epic. It received a standing ovation at CalProg. I liked it then and I like it now. So it sounds more like Starcastle than Yes. It is still very entertaining.

All in all, I think I like 2002's "I Move" better, but there is still a lot to like about "My River Flows".

I've owned Izz's second release, I Move over two years now, and I must say its one of my favorite CDs. Stylistically, I Move is all over the place, but so well executed that you don't notice.

The new Izz, My River Flows, however, well, I just expected more, or something else entirely. I'm not saying it sucks, but the title says it all actually. It actually does rock in places; the first two songs are actually pretty darn good, though not terribly original (Late Night Salvation even breaks down for an over-long drum solo-yeesh!).

Its no where near as diverse as I Move, nor is it as experimental. That doesn't mean its more cohesive either, however. Its not a pedestrian effort, like I said, it rocks in places, but over all its has an introspective, plaintiff tone to it, and not much of a prog element either, other than the use of a fulltime keyboard player. Yeah, its got a 21 minute song on it that plays more like a suite, rather than an epic. Very 'Salem Hill'-ish.

I mean, this is the follow-up to I Move, after 4 years? Someone on another website said the nice thing about really prolific bands like The Flower Kings is, that if they make an album you don't like, all you need do is wait 14-15 months until the next one.

I'm not saying My River Flows is a throw-away. I guess it'll hold me until the next one. Hopefully by then, they'll have exorsized the ghosts of '70s AOR that haunt this album.

One of the better pop-prog bands around, Izz demonstrates a classier, gently innovative approach that many of their peers fail to grasp, perhaps one of only a few in this genre who actually strive to emulate musical forefathers so many are prone to copy.

Another amazing album. Several years in the making, this album is worth the wait. It has constantly changing styles and moods. Great progressive music, mixed with that pop sensibility that brings out the IZZ sound. Late Night Salvation definitely ranks up there among my favorite IZZ songs ever. The ambitious Deafening Silence, a 20 minute epic, is signature IZZ while sounding new and fresh at the same time. All of the band members are well represented throughout.

I can't wait for more people to discover this album and this band. They are well-deserving of a much larger audience. Check it out.

IZZ continue to carve out a unique sound of their own that ocassionally hints at their own influences without imitating.
This a modern group that actually warrants the title "progressive." Not because of their instrumentation and occasional extended arrangements but because they take those notions and infuse them with a fresh approach that is both catchy and virtuosic. Once again they have created an album that leaves you with mememorable melodies and mind boggling passages that entice multiple listens.
Certainly an early must have for 2006!

Izz really comes to maturity with this new CD. Capturing a lot of the elements from great prog bands of the past (influences of ELP, Yes, Renaissance) and yet having a fresh sound of their own. This is the album we've been waiting for from IZZ.

Great keyboards, great guitar, and great vocals in interesting, tuneful, and complex arrangements. Recommended for all progressive rock fans.