RVIVR - The Tide 7" - White Vinyl (/100)

Dead Broke (2017)

It's been a little bit since I had last heard from RVIVR.  I guess I just wasn't paying as much attention as I should have been as I missed a new 7" of theirs that coincided with a tour of Australia.  Luckily for me, the decision was made to also release the 7" on Dead Broke.  I was paying more attention to that announcement and was able to snag one of the limited to one hundred copies white vinyl versions.

Both songs are just outstanding.  "The Tide" kicks off with a quick lead guitar riff and then blasts into the verse.  Fast paced, chugging guitars with vocal harmonies and sing along hooks.  Everything I want from RVIVR amplified to ten.  B-side "Shaggy" is just as ferocious with jagged guitar chords and impassioned vocals.  

Both songs are among the very best the band has ever released. There is mention on the Dead Broke website that RVIVR is also working on an upcoming full length.  If this 7" is any hint of how great that album is going to be, it could be the best one yet.

RVIVR - The Tide 7":

https://deadbrokerekerds.bandcamp.com/album/the-tide-shaggy

Tender Defender - S/T 12" - White w/ Splatter vinyl (/100)

Dead Broke (2016)

There is a strain of melodic punk rock that certainly wasn't invented by either Iron Chic or RVIVR, but those are the two active bands that I most associate with the sound.  Considering that the band contains a member of Iron Chic and a member of RVIVR, it probably shouldn't be a surprise that Tender Defender does kind of fall right into the middle of this strain.

If you are familiar with either Iron Chic or RVIVR (or Tender Defender's other precursor band, Latterman), you'll probably be pretty content with this 12" EP.  While I have never been a fan of the 12" EP as a format (I'll take a 10" every time as my personal preference), Tender Defender certainly make the most of their time and leave you clamoring for more songs.  Tracks like "Hello Dirt" and "f.e.f.e." feel like home with their fast and powerful guitar work and sing along choruses.  It's hard to not imagine a group of people at a Tender Defender show with their fists in the air singing along to every word.  Even when the band slows things down and takes some chances on longer songs like "Rudes and Cheaps," they still hit it out of the park.

Now, I am going to take some points away for the band having a song called "The Tender Defender," as I've never liked it when bands have songs with the same title as the band name, but I don't have anything bad to say about the song itself.  It's another solid entry on this 12".  Tender Defender has come storming out of the gate with a debut that is really worth checking out.  Hopefully it's the first of many releases and not just a one off side effort in between the member's main bands.

Tender Defender - S/T 12":

https://deadbrokerekerds.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-mini-lp

RVIVR - Bicker And Breath 12"

Rumbletowne (2014)

RVIVR is one of the few bands I'll forgive for committing the mortal sin of having a band name that's missing vowels.  Thank goodness for that lone "I" holding things down in the middle.  Discounting any silly feelings about bands that overuse the missing vowels gimmick, RVIVR has been one of the most reliable punk rock bands releasing records over the past few years.  They started off strong with a few 7"s back in 2009 and you could really make the argument that they continue to get better with each new release.

Bicker And Breathe is no exception to this rule.  If you wanted to say this is the best batch of RVIVR songs yet, I couldn't really find too many reasons to disagree with you.  The songs are all packed with this contagious enthusiasm and energy,  The first three songs in particular are all fantastic, hit after hit.  Heavy on big hooks and fast, catchy music.  The male/female vocal dynamic really makes this band something special as each vocalist compliments the other and both sound stronger as a result.

The fourth song, "The Sound," slows things down just a bit and gives the band a moment to catch their breath, but it is just as well written and dynamic as the trifecta that open this EP.  The very last track, "Bicker/Breathe," is the only one that I find doesn't live up to four before it.  I think it's a little too straightforward and feels a bit out of place sitting next to four of the band's very best.

RVIVR hasn't let me down yet.  So often my favorite album by a band tends to be the first one of theirs that I hear.  RVIVR is one of those rare groups that just improves with every new song and every new idea.  I hope they keep making tons of record going forward.  If they all continue to improve at this rate, their next full length is going to be a real doozy.

RVIVR - Bicker And Breath 12":

http://rvivr.bandcamp.com/album/bicker-and-breathe-ep

RVIVR - The Beauty Between LP

RVIVR - The Beauty Between LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Rumbletowne (2013)

Many times over the past 6 months I've taken to this website and proclaimed that 2013 has been a hell of a year for music so far. Please reuse that statement for today's record as well. Another top shelf punk rock record has come down the pipes in 2013, courtesy of RVIVR. I've actually been following RVIVR since their first 7". I had read a review of it that compared it to some other band that I liked. Though I couldn't tell you what band that was anymore, what I can tell you is that I knew right from the start this was a band I would be keeping tabs on.

Fast forward a few years later and we have RVIVR's 2nd full length, The Beauty Between, easily their crowning achievement to date. It's an incredibly dynamic blend of male/female dueling and harmonizing vocals combined with more complicated and nuanced guitar interplay than you'll find on a lot of punk rock records. While that could keep some bands from latching on to catchy hooks and choruses; RVIVR combines all of these elements into one hell of a record that's so easy to listen to but never feels saccharine or hollow.

In a year that's been full of hit after hit it's going to be hard for an above average record to make an impact in 2013. Luckily for RVIVR, what they've turned in is probably their masterpiece. No pressure on the next record...

RVIVR - The Beauty Between:
rvivr.bandcamp.com/album/the-beauty-between