Relatively Clean Rivers was a psychedelic folk rock project from Phil Pearlman, who was also a member of The Beat Of The Earth, and The Electronic Hole. Aside from the genre being one of my favorites to listen to in recent weeks, the music is compared to the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Neil Young on both Psychedelic Baby Magazine’s website and Allmusic’s website. There isn’t a whole lot more information that I can find with a quick search about the band itself, so I’m going to go ahead and jump on into the music.
“Easy Ride” gradually fades in with a combination of audience background chatter, and then a flowing, groovy combination of acoustic guitar and some twangy electric guitar. Oh wow, I’m really digging the soundscape so far, which really does remind me so far quite a bit of Neil Young and the early 1970s Grateful Dead. Holy smokes, the electric guitar gets grooving into a sweet solo that reminds me of both Jerry Garcia and some of the guitar work from Mighty Baby. Oh wow, this is super groovy. Holy smokes, the harmonica comes in and somehow dials the flavor in the song up even higher than it already is. Awesome track, and I’m super stoked to listen to the rest of the album.
“Journey Through the Valley of O” begins with some gentle wind chimes. Holy smokes, a super blues-filled psychedelic folk rock groove just dropped into place, created by a combination of harmonica and a medley of acoustic guitars, a super groovy electric guitar that seems to have a slight hint of distortion. Oh wow, I’m really digging this track and album so far. I just checked the price of the record on Discogs, and an original copy is selling for upwards of $2,800, and I totally understand why. Great track.
“Babylon” begins with some gentle, inviting acoustic guitar that seems to gradually pick up a bit of Spanish/raga feel. Holy smokes, some spacey sounds just came into the soundscape, making the tune feel like a bit of a folksy Gong tune. Oh wow, the tune seems to resolve back to the folksy roots at the start of the track. Holy smokes, the syncopation in the track creates such a groovy feel that seems to exist across different genre dimensions. Oh wow, the tune has entered a breakdown of sorts at this point, moving into a bit of spacey psychedelic rock groove. I’m really digging the combination of the acoustic guitar and synths, which seem to both draw out more energy and flavor from each other as the jams evolve and grow. Holy smokes, this album is awesome so far. The harmonica parts in this track remind me a fair deal of The Brian Jonestown Massacre with the sort of psychedelic and folksy flavors it plays. Awesome track.
Oh wow, “Last Flight To Eden” starts out with a bit of a galloping country-inflected folksy acoustic guitar section, which feels as though it is gradually building up to something epic. Oh wow, this track seems to be an instrumental, which seems to add even more weight behind each note played by the acoustic guitar. I really dig the flutes in this track as well, as they seem to give the tune a bit of a traditional British folk sound as well. Great track.
“Prelude” begins with some reversed instrumentation and almost sounds as though the music is walking you part of the way back through the previous track. Super sweet short song.
“Hello Sunshine” begins with some sounds of seagulls chirping on a beach while the water flows up and down the sand. Oh wow, the electric guitar gets some really groovy psychedelic country folk licks in, which remind me a fair deal of Jerry Garcia. Oh wow, the flavor of the electric guitar seems to pick up a raga-inclination of sorts, reminding me a bit of George Harrison and The Beatles circa 1967. Wow, great tune.
“They Knew What To Say” starts out with some super interesting harpsichord flavors, almost giving the tune a sort of medieval backdrop. Oh wow, the acoustic guitar jangles really nicely in the background of the soundscape, while the electric guitar seems to scrape in some super groovy psychedelic notes and accentuations. Oh wow, I really dig the vocals in this track. The overall sound at the moment reminds me of Grin, Crazy Horse, and Neil Young a fair deal. Holy smokes, the harmonica somehow makes the tune even groovier as it enters the soundscape at the end. Great track.
Holy smokes, “The Persian Caravan” begins with what sounds to be a banjo or similar plucky stringed instrument playing a raga line. Holy smokes, the rolling cymbals seem to teleport that raga line from hundreds of years in the past to 1976, as the electric guitars pick up right where the plucky raga beginning left off, and incorporating some twang and distortion in the process. Oh wow, this tune is a really groovy and flowing instrumental track. Super sweet song.
“A Thousand Years” starts with a gradually rolling and reversed cymbal, reminding me a ton of “Disgustipated” by TOOL off of their 1993 album, Undertow. Holy smokes, some acoustic instrumentation and a bass guitar have entered the soundscape, creating a soundscape that reminds me a bit of the medieval psychedelic folk band known as Caedmon. The song almost feels as though it is an ancient shamanic ritual with Celtic origins. Oh wow, as the tune continues along it almost reminds me of a sort of southern Americana psychedelic folk tune of sorts. Wow, super groovy tune and a great way to end the album.
Holy smokes, this album is awesome. If you’re a fan of Neil Young, Crazy Horse, and/or Grin, and also enjoy the Grateful Dead, you might want to consider checking out this album. The mixture of psychedelic, folk, country, space, and raga flavors are combined in a way that is both familiar and original, with a very natural flow from one genre to the next as well as from one song to the next. I hope they re-release the album sometime soon so I can grab a copy on vinyl. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A