Rivers Arms (Dig)

Balmorhea | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 12, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Western Vinyl
• ASIN: B00128X6R8
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,762 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Although Balmorhea is a band of rock musicians, on Rivers Arms they look more toward Arvo Pärt, Steve Reich and Brian Eno for their source points. Named for a town in their native Texas, Balmorhea has a couple of classical string players in the group, but the core sound comes from Rob Lowe and Michael Muller who play guitars and piano. They're all in their 20s, but they shun the dynamics and electrics of rock. Instead, they hear a sound that is quieter and contemplative, a more refined music that's dipped in pastoral reverie, but touched by quirkiness. You can hear it on gentle tracks like "Summer" with arpeggiated acoustic guitars set against a glissando violin, or on "San Salomon," where piano, banjo and cello join in a slow, bluegrass-like soliloquy, emerging out of the sound of children playing on a beach. The audio vérité they use on several tracks gives the intimacy of a home movie, not a YouTube movie mind you, but an old Super-8 film. There's a little too much of that on a few tracks but it's one element that makes Balmorhea poignant without being sentimental. It’s a difficult task, but one they accomplish by taking 1980s acoustic New Age music and giving it an avant-garde edge. -- John Diliberto

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Headphone Commute Review, March 16, 2008

By 

Headphone Commute - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rivers Arms (Dig) (Audio CD)

Balmorhea (pronounced bal-mor-ay) is a duo from Texas, Rob Lowe and Michael Muller, creating simple and enchanting music with ambient spaces, relaxing places, acoustic guitar, and a piano. For their second album they have expanded the group to a quartet, adding a cello and a violin. The style floats among folk, modern classical, and acoustic ambient. The production incorporates sensitive microphones recording live instrumentation, and the effect is immediate - the barely audible rustling and shuffling sounds teleport the listener into the studio, placing the ear near the frets, the keys and the bow. Unlike the duo's first self titled album, Rivers Arms is more mature in quality of production, and the vastness of field recordings used to offset intertwining melodies with a string accompaniment. It is especially a great headphone treat, as the sound is crystal clear and perfectly balanced within the stereo field. I recommend to grab their two albums together and play alongside Library Tapes, Eluvium and Goldmund. Favorite tracks: The Winter and Barefoot Pilgrims.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, October 15, 2009

By 

Matthew J. Warren "J.DUB" (Inyourmomspants, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rivers Arms (Dig) (Audio CD)

Love listening to this while walking to school during the winter. This is the type of music that makes you forget about all your worries in the world. If you like this you'll love "Soundtrack to a Vacant Life" by The Flashbulb.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Pretty music, March 6, 2008

By 

Amanda (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rivers Arms (Dig) (Audio CD)

the strings, simple surreal vocals, wonderful listening experience. truly.... a more acoustic, stripped down AIR and a more vamped up (ish) sigor ros. thanks for the music