Chris Riley - Echoes in the Gloaming (2024)

A Deep-Sea Dive Into a Symphony of Melodic and Expansive Contemporary North Eastern Folk Music.

This is only the second solo album release from this County Durham based singer-songwriter yet, on delving oh so deep into RMHQ’s vaults, it’s clear to me that Chris Riley has been busy within his local music scene for many years.
He is one half of a Celtic Folk Trio aka The Dicey Rileys, their original title track ‘The Ghost Ship’ is described as “featuring some luscious harmonies and intricate guitar and mandolin playing” whilst his Garage Rock combo The False Poets has “Hank B Marvinesque geetar, a hook that will reel you in like a salmon”.
He also involvements in experimental prog rock group The Support Band and indie act The Sand Dunes, it all makes for an intriguing and eclectic musical heritage, adding weight to any solo releases from this versatile musician.
Whilst his debut album Cestrian channelled some of these influences into his own brand of folk, this second body of work has ignited my interest as the whole of side two is a complete suite of music! But more of that later.

If raw, melodic indie Folk-Pop floats your boat then dive straight into side one as the first three tracks provide all the hooks for jumping aboard.

In contrast, at the more traditional end of his Folk spectrum, ‘Fine Day’ is a calming narrative. It’s a love song describing acceptance of fulfilment in the here and now and is quickly followed by the rippling sweet licks of ‘Another You’ which philosophically explores regret at a love lost.
Chris Riley’s vocals are spaciously fragile and connecting, full of personality and coupled with compelling melodies, this album is swiftly progressing to being a ‘keeper’ and I might pop it next to the likes of Bragg/Heaton/MacColl and even Crowded House, as there is a commercial quality to his mature songwriting.

The mood seismically shifts with an energetic, toe tappin’ Irish jig: ‘The Ballad Of Joe Riley’, a surefire impactful taster vibe for The Dicey Rileys, is inspired by his grandfather, words penned by his pal Lawrence Munley and the music added later.
Another stand out track is the instrumental ‘For A Few Quavers More’, a sequel to ‘A Fistful Of Quavers’ from his previous album perhaps? This time round swapping the whistling for deep electric 60’s twang, evoking a Wild West showdown complete with a gunshot finale.

This side wraps up by staying on the battlefront with ‘You Won’t Make A Fool Out Of Me’, lyrics spilling out bitter determination to get the upper hand in a personal conflict, “Your tricks will all be found out”.
This song is runner up favourite for the combination of his passionate, defiant vocal delivery and the added surging electric guitar solo giving another layer of atmospheric drama, thus laying the pathway for side two.

So, here’s where we get two albums in one; as we flip over, exploring much deeper waters of Chris Riley’s prog folk influences:
Please note…… if you dig side one; then you are going to LOVE side two!
Despite being on the outskirts of my usual listening genres, these six songs effortlessly drew me into Riley’s folk-scape world, again with his signature luscious melodies at the heart of it all, coupled with expressive vocals holding court.

The four songs layered in the middle, form the backbone of the ‘suite’ and they exquisitely immerse us with evocative harmony hums, birdsong and atmospheric electric guitar, which expansively transports these songs into another dimension.
‘Never Gonna Further Fall’ strums us into this fuller sound with layered harmonies, then ‘Away From My Door’ echoes an eerie high twang and the stripped back ‘Ledge Of Sleep’ has a raw vocal delivery, adding a very personal touch to this heartfelt love song.

So, finally that just leaves my favourite track: ‘Making Waves’, conveying a reflective desire to help a friend, sees the music and vocals blend gorgeously with the guitar now bringing to my mind a mystical whale call (?), reinforcing the dreamscape quality of this striking song.