Young River

The Daily Consciousness Review Oct.31.2011

Young River’s debut album is currently available for pre-order by checking out their official website The album flows extremely well & the listener will be pleased with the high quality mastering and sound.
Behind the scenes work here is very good.
In terms of instrumentals & vocals we give props to Young River who have officially won our hearts! Melodic melodies and uplifting solos create the perfect debut Album.Don’t miss out on this album from our friends Young River. - The Daily Consciousness

Grayowl Point Review Oct.31.2011

Review – “Young River” – Young RiverPosted on September 26, 2011 by lstanley24reviewed by Laura Stanley

The upcoming, self-titled release from the young Halifax band Young River features quite the combination of heavier rock and folk-rock songs for a surprisingly pleasing and fluid new album. Made up of Zach MacLean (guitar, vocals), Brodie Peterson (bass), and Matthew Thauvette (percussion), who apparently, “Met at a three way intersection somewhere in Halifax,” Young River are able to mix emotional and spirited songwriting with a genuine rock sound. Looking at the great mixture of rock genres, Young River is reminiscent of Attack In Black’s heavy folk-rock masterpiece, Marriage. The combination of songs like the folkier, “Travel Light” or the energetic “Tired Legs and Arms,” mirrors how successfully Attack In Black were able to do it in their album. Thanks to its beautiful musical progression, the opening track, “Ultimatum,” is easily one of the strongest. “Older Than Eros,” which has a similar and engaging progression as “Ultimatum,” is another highlight with its moody percussion and use of trumpet. With all but one song, the closer, timing in at around four minutes or over, Young River is giving it their all, not skipping out on details whether it be lyrically or in the musical arrangements. As the songs are not all quick or lyrically and musically condensed pieces, which is not a bad thing, the appreciation for the memorable arrangements comes with a few listens but regardless, you won’t be disappointed .Pre-order Young River’s album on Bandcamp.

Top Tracks: “Ultimatum,” “Older Than Eros”Rating: Strong Hoot (Good) http://glasspaperweight.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/review-young-river-young-river/ - Grayowl Point

http://www.cbc.ca/atlanticairwaves/2011/09/21/on-the-program-for-saturday-september-17-2011---carmel-mikol-young-river/ - CBC

TO Snob Review Nov.02.2011

Young River: "Young River" (album review) Nova Scotia band Young River have just released their self-titled debut album. The band have worked hard locally, both on their own and supporting other artists such asCarleton Stone.

The band's sound is best characterized as emotional indie rock music. That's not to be confused with Emo. Heartfelt vocals and earnest arrangements evoke thoughts of City And Colour, but there's a hard-to-pin-down east coast sensibility to the music that scream Joel Plaskett.

The pinnacle is "Older Than Eros", a beautiful track that does a masterful job of never allowing you to become complacent. "What Is Now Is Here To Stay" shows a grittier, dusty trail rock side that suits the band very well.

The arrangements can be a little too methodical or clinical at times. Some greater variation in tempo and allowing themselves to free-wheel a little bit more would help to distinguish these songs from one another, and it would allow the band's personality to flow through to the listener more.

When the band do let themselves out of the box, like on "Break Me Down", they easily win you over on enthusiasm alone. The frenetic guitars of "Tired Legs and Arms" create a tidal rise and fall that would do ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead proud.

Technically Young River are a very proficient and capable band. In the future I hope they let their guard down a bit more so we can get to know them better.

Best tracks: "Older Than Eros", "Tired Legs and Arms"

Track listing for Young River:
Ultimatum Better Now Than Then Older Than Eros Break Me Down Hollow One Tired Legs and Arms What Is Now Is Here To Stay Travel Light Rumors and Ghosts Right Words 6.5/10 - TO Snob

Noisography Review Nov.8.2011

Album Review: Young River – Self Titled By GDK

Emotion filled Indie-rock quintet Young River’s debut album is filled with a little more than a generic hipster vibe, and out of style clothing. It’s got some raunchy rock oriented grooves and interludes, some country flavor and a lot of individuality.

Composed of Zach Maclean, Brodie Patterson, Matt Thauvette, and latest addition Mike Ouellette, Young River delivers a sound that is emotionally driven but cannot be interpreted as a pity party by any listener. Starting off with a church organ backed ‘Ultimatum’ that builds up and drops constantly leaving the listener in a state of weightlessness, and progressing seamlessly into a slow rock jam ‘Better Now than Then’ that becomes a true blues ballad around the halfway mark.

With home recording so readily available in today’s musical world I find that there’s a lot of “breakup” songs and even some bands that use that as their only form of inspiration (ever listen to an album that just whines about being at home broken hearted? If not, don’t. You’re missing out on nothing). Young River however successfully breaks down some painful barriers down without beating a dead horse. Listening to this album I couldn’t help but be relaxed and zoned into the core sound so much so that I felt as if I had watched the recording and writing sessions from beginning to end.

I don’t think it’d take much stretch of the imagination to foresee a band like Young River going on to enjoy some serious mainstream success without conforming to a generic 3-chord, power-pop sound that’s found in so much of today’s radio play. I can safely say in just less than 45 minutes these men deliver more emotion and passion than the majority of today’s popular “talented” artists. If soft and melodic is your flavor of choice then album is a must have, after all a band with so much potential and talent is a band to go see and have a reminder of everywhere you go!


Young River – Young River gets a emotion filled 4 strums out of 5! - Noisography

Here is a Video from our trip into Caper Radio!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vpj13kMEifw - Caper Radio

... Also at The Carleton, soulful songsmith Ian Janes continues his Thursday night residency and, on Sunday, Young River releases its impressive self-titled debut, with guests Calen Kinney, Marty Davidson, Stephanie Thauvette and Carmel Mikol.
The Cape Breton quartet’s forthright rock comes across with an emotional wallop and a dramatic sense of songcraft, definitely an act to keep your eyes and ears on. For more info and samples of their music go to www.youngriverband.com. - The Chronicle Herald

The Coast Jan.5.2012

Young River flows
The indie-rock quartet make their debut LP with a little help from their friends.
by Allison Saunders @alliesaysrelax

Grown men, Young River.
Holed up in a protected historic house, next to a waterfall, in the snowy woods of Pictou, it's no surprise something wonderful happened. That's where Young River's self-titled debut record began, not too far from this time two years ago. Trying to make a demo of sorts, the indie rockers---who met studying jazz in university---enlisted the help of friend Mark Dolmont, who was home from Singapore for the holidays and happy to help with the recording. But the end result, while satisfying, left them wanting more. "We heard something that wasn't done," says the band's frontman Zach MacLean, who wrote many of the album's songs while dealing with the transition of moving to Halifax. Since then, Young River plugged away at its full-length release, between three studios and many helpful hands of engineers and musicians...all the while sending bits and pieces overseas to Dolmont for mixing. "It was two years from when we started to record to when we had it in our hands," says MacLean. "But because of that we were able to have people we know, love and trust involved in the project."
Sunday January 8, The Carleton, 1685 Argyle Street, 9pm, $10 - The Coast

Young River
By Chris · January 20, 2011 · Post a comment
Filed Under Canadian Artist, New Music, Young River
Young River

Independent

Young River – Rocking the Halifax music scene having opened for The Novaks & Flash Lightnin (great artists, check them out) at the Seahorse. They are charged by there great vocals and ability to combine an emotionally driven melodic instrumental background with catchy choruses. Definitely don’t want to miss these guys if you have a chance to see them live.

Young River is consistent of:

Zach MacLean – Guitar. Vocals

Brodie Peterson – Bass

Matt Thauvette – Drums

Young River is currently in the process of finishing up their album which as been a longtime coming as their audio engineer lived in Singapore for the majority of time while the record was being developed. However he was able to fly home on holidays were they would record in Pictou, Nova Scotia.

Once there record is released Young River will be busy touring & as always they will be constantly in writing mode. They are the ultimate do it yourself band managing themselves and doing all the artwork and promoting themselves. Self-Sufficient well oiled machine. Young River.

Be sure to check them out!
- The Daily Consciousness

The Daily Consciousness: You guys opened for The Novaks at the Seahorse, how did that come about?

Played a showcase at in Yarmouth for Nova Scotia Music Week at around 3am. Apparently we turned the head of the promoter for the Seahorse. The phone rang a few days later. We got a few dates at the Seahorse, one of them being the show with the Novaks. It ended up being one of the best shows we’ve played to date.

The Daily Consciousness: Your full length album is currently in the process of being finalized we’re curious if you have titled it yet?

A lot of names were placed on the table, but I think we are going to just keep it simple have the first album be self titled.


The Daily Consciousness: Who influences Young River?
Bry Webb, Malcolm Young, Phil Lynott and Levon Helms would the weirdest/best band ever.

The Daily Consciousness: Whats your personal favorite young river song?
Matt: Ultimatum is definitely our best song, guys.
Brodie: You’re an idiot. Its obviously Set You Right.
Zach: I’d say it’s Rights Words, but who am I?

The Daily Consciousness: Whats Young Rivers overall message to the world?

Eat your vegetables and do what you want.

The Daily Consciousness: Recommend three artists our readers would enjoy.
Jay Smith, Adam Baldwin and Laura Merrimen. Friends we admire.

The Daily Consciousness: Other than making music does Young River have any other hobbies?
Brodie draws disturbing things (which will end up being the album art in some way). Zach enjoys not watching TV. Matt likes Scotch.

The Daily Consciousness: In your opinion(s) what is the most rewarding aspect of making music?
The process of writing is always rewarding. Creating something from scratch and trying to display it to as many people as possible. It’s challenging but really rewarding, even if its not necessarily successful.


The Daily Consciousness: How long has the band been together?


Pushing 3 years

The Daily Consciousness: To wrap this up is there anything you’d like your fans to know?
Debut album coming very very soon. Check out our website! youngriverband.com Hope to see everyone and their dog out at the Seahorse on February 9th for our show with the Transatlantic Zodiac Ensemble!
- The Daily Consciousness