aaamusic | On 17, Apr 2011

London based twins The Rivers Brothers, also known as No Machine are set to release their latest EP ‘Romeo vs. G.I. Joe’ on April 18^th through Arion Records.

The EP consists of 5 songs beginning with title track ‘Romeo vs. G.I. Joe’. This opening track sets the tone for the mini album – it is ambitious, interesting and uses an eclectic range of instruments and sounds.

Standout tracks include ‘Hanging Out’ (In The Backseat Of My Car) an upbeat triumphant sounding song complete with brass backing and crashing symbols along with  (My Poor Heart is A) ‘Roundabout’ a wistful sounding love song with a slightly country feel to it.

The Rivers Brothers certainly have an original sound- mainly due to the fact that they experiment with a number of different musical genres ranging from synth pop to indie. This makes for a unique sound; however on the downside the EP subsequently lacks a sense of continuity.

When listening to this mini album it is obvious that the Rivers Brothers have put a lot of effort into the song writing, recording and production.  From the use of brass instruments, the crisp and varied drum beats and the steady presence of guitar; classically trained Al and Emil Rivers have clearly pulled out all of the stops and showcased everything they’ve got.

Author: Orna Lyons