Education for the Kerrang! Generation
I had planned on beginning this review by saying that there is nothing spooky about this beyond-the-grave release from the legendary Nick Drake. However, after listening through ‘River Man’ a few times, I decided that this was a highly inappropriate introduction. ‘River Man’ is a beautifully haunting folk song, combining Drake’s ever-present acoustic guitar bounce with a ghostly string arrangement and deep, melancholy vocals to maximum eerie effect. ‘River Man’ is only the second ever single release from Nick Drake, who released no singles in his lifetime. It is mainly posthumously that he has attained the legendary status he today occupies.
Without the strings, it is difficult to imagine exactly how ‘River Man’ would sound. At the beginning of the song, before Drake’s dreamy vocals or the wailing strings have arrived, it is difficult to predict whether Drake’s ever-so-slightly dissonant guitar-part is light- or heavy-hearted. The strings essentially make the song as devastatingly solemn as it is; a full range of pitches is explored, combining simple background chords with tremolo crescendos and dissonant atypical rhythms that dance around and mock the steady rhythm provided by the guitar.
The chances are that if you are a folk music fan, you already know as much as there is to know about Nick Drake. If, for some inexplicable reason, you do not, buy ‘River Man’ and receive your education.