Severine – Down the Rivers
Severine – Down the Rivers
SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/severinemusic/down-the-rivers/s-A6o6z
Born in the US but raised in France, singer/songwriter Severine has launched her own solo career after playing and touring with bands for many years prior. She’s performed live everywhere from Paris to New York and has established a career based upon being driven, focused and dedicated to accomplishing her musical goals.
2016 brought change to her career as she split from group musical activities for the time being and buckled down to learn the recording software Ableton. These modest beginnings brought the fruition of an unexpected solo career with Severine writing and recording on her own for the very first time. Tapping into producer extraordinaire Anthony “Rocky” Gallo, a popular producer that has worked with everyone from Bon Jovi to rapper Common, Severine set about the task of laying down her second single “Down the Rivers” which draws inspiration from multiple musical sources including Radiohead and Portishead.
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/severinemusic/
When it comes to the music not only is Portishead an excellent point of reference but so are electronica-dabbling outfits such as Hooverphonic and Plumb. It’s truly not a crowded pack within which Severine is operating thus casting this single in a light of originality and freshness that’s not currently found on popular radio.
Utilizing swirls of synth texture and keyboards, the song goes from quiet, measured verses to booming electronic percussion and bombastic swells of sound during the chorus with Severine’s voice shining brightly throughout. All of this musical richness and ambiance is captured to perfection by Gallo’s well-oiled production that has been honed by years of working with the brightest and the best that the industry has had to offer.
The forlorn aural atmosphere is offset but balanced by the gorgeous, uplifting push of the different moods, volume transitions and soaring vocals. It’s hard to believe this is the artist’s first official single as it sounds like she’s been writing and recording her own solo material for many years prior. Lyrically, she tackles the idea of striving and ascending to one’s dreams in reality, a facet of her own career that she is exploring right now with this single. All of the verbal and musical elements congeal into a delightful whole that is obviously the first of many bright, artistic career achievements to come.
“Down the Rivers” illustrates a sky is the limit stretch to anything Severine chooses to accomplish afterwards. Some say that first song is the hardest but she is making it sound easy. Her future plans include recording an EP to follow-up the single and performances in the New York City area (where she now resides). “Down the Rivers” is a fantastic doubling down on an exciting new talent that’s finally breaking away from the confines of her past and diving headlong with full enthusiasm into her future.
Frank McClure