May 18th, 2005
OnTap Online Review
Riviera's full-length debut is pervaded by a sense of nostalgia and uncertainty. The album turns a critical eye to the detached cool with which many of us conduct our lives; filling the spaces with work, dreams, drinking or some other noise. But while there is a cynical underpinning to the album, there is also a certain amount of naivet?-a feeling that there was innocence lost along the way, but not so lost it cannot be regained. There is an understated beauty in the sentiments expressed on the album brought out by the hushed tone of the songs. Melodic piano lines, countrified drums and guitar playing that ranges from obvious to obscure are the backbone of this quiet Americana record.
DAVE BRECHEISEN