L’Avenue - Riviera

Review by Karl Magi

Overall Album Impressions

L’Avenue’s Riviera is an incredibly evocative, immensely relaxing synth journey that exhales tropical breezes and generates rich auditory imagery. This is music on which one can be transported to deep azure water, clear blue skies and blindingly white sand. I find the music emotionally touching as it unfolds.

One of the strongest draws for me on Riviera is the atmosphere that L’Avenue manages to create. His synth palette glides, enfolds and gently touches the listener's ears. Sparkling light, smoothly washing waves and pastel clouds are all evoked through different timbres and tones. I find myself carried away into a deeply peaceful state by the album.

A combination of strong lyrics and superb vocal performances add to the songs on Riviera. The two sung tracks are given emotional expression by Eliza Devane and George Holliday’s vocal talents and L’Avenue shows himself to be a skilled songwriter in the imagery he conjures and in his fluent word choices. I hope he’ll write more songs with lyrics on future releases.

I can’t forget to mention the saxophone on the album. It lends a retro touch that also strengthens the moving emotional quality in the music. The reedy, impassioned tones generate feelings of an earnest, heartfelt nature and add to the calming effect of L’Avenue’s music. I’m pleased he added it to the mix.

My Favourite Tracks Analyzed

“Riviera” comes into being as deeply resonant, warm synths permeate the musical space with an ethereal flow as drums throb and bell-like synth delicately glides and a round-toned, smooth synth sings out a tender melody, full of soothing emotion over the guiding drums.

Background sounds exhale softly and string-like notes tangle through the track before the main melody floats in again, full to bursting with gentleness. I find the melody deeply affecting in its kind feeling as breathy vocal synths touch the track.

The music exudes incredibly calming sonic waves as repeating synths wash through. After a breezy sweep, sparkling arpeggios dance and a secondary melody moves in, carried on crystalline chimes. The track becomes more energetic, the bright chimes like sunlIght on tropical water before the music ends.

A jazz organ’s rich tones move over tapping, touching percussion and elevated synths lightly shift as “Warm Breeze” begins. Airy, pipe-like synth breathes through the music in a caressing melodic pattern as reverberating percussion trembles.

The drums smooth out as jazz organ chords fill the music with comforting sounds and chiming notes dance. Pipe-like synth slips easily through the music before a dreamy sax sings out a melancholy melody. I’m drawn to the sense of pleasantly aching nostalgia in the melody as it unfolds.

Medium-high synth bounces back and forth over shifting drums and deep, luscious synth vibrates over underlying bass currents. Jazz organ takes up the longing melody and the sax cries out again, full of expressive yearning. There’s a  return to the “A”  section’s settling vibes before sax calls out one final time and the music fades.

“Sun and the Moon” opens with steadily throbbing bass underpinning a wandering jazz organ-like synth as bass and drums guide the music. Eliza Devane’s vocals are emotive and breathy, exuding peace. The vocal melody beautifully combines gentleness and passionate need as bell-like notes add a brighter accent.

Now the sax comes in, full of deep feeling, complementing Eliza Devane’s voice. Her vocals are like a misty blue sky as she emotes with graceful ease. Gossamer and softly touching sounds fill the song as a steady drum and bass pulse adds form.

The vocal melody is meltingly tender before the tremulous sax flows in again. A distantly gliding background sound ripples through and the sax keeps delivering expression until the song ends on piano notes.

Our storyteller describes the emotional state the song’s subject creates in her as a wave crashing over her as the person seems to “permeate every pore, down to my core.” She describes their situation as a road opening in front of her as “the path ahead is all so clear, the goal moves near.” She describes the other person as a shining star for her.

In the chorus, the narrator talks about how they “run, hide, laugh, cry, touch the sky” as they “love and be loved between the sun and the moon.” She describes how they roll and flow while “our seeds they grow” because it is their time and their show.

Our storyteller describes how the other person is always there somewhere “like rolling hills out in front of me.” As the night comes and the narrator’s eyes “close out the blue” she still sees the other person. She goes on to say that like the distant sun “your warmth is near” and like the “pale moon’s insistence” the other person is always there. As the song ends, our narrator talks about the sun and the moon as they move from “July ’til June, midnight to noon (and) from late until soon.”

A strongly pulsing drumbeat and undulating bell-like synth start off “Villa.” Bass washes in a wave as the drums create an even motion and a sax with an added nasal quality glides past. Reverberating notes shiver through the music as the bass and drums move the track forward.

Pipe-like synths form a briefly throbbing pattern and fade as the sax calls out in the distance and a xylophone creates a hypnotic pattern. Pronounced, lush bass throbs and descending notes flicker as breathy pipes exhale in a gentling pattern that I enjoy.

Elevated chimes sparkle in a continually shimmering motion as a drum and bass pulse guides the track. The music ends on slightly distorted sax and reverberating sound waves.

“Boulevard” commences as flowing, relaxing synth ripples out in pink pastel waves. Tapping, guiding drums are lightly touched by evenly pulsing bass and elevated, enfolding notes. A trembling, angular synth pattern adds a pleasing shadowy tinge.

Gossamer sounds also trace through the track. A breeze sweeps in along wth dynamically shifting vocal sounds as a slight hint of cloud touches the music. Voices echo out and far away, feather-light synth shivers and silence falls.

Full-sounding, bell-like jazz organ trails a laid back arpeggiation through “Pastel Skies” as it begins. The jazz organ creates a deeply settling soundscape through which bells ring out with intense tenderness. A brassy, mistily flowing synth light undulates as achingly delicate sounds glide.

The mingled emotions that this track creates are compelling for me. Tenuous notes flicker before the nasal, peaceful sax carries diaphanous melody into the comforting background.  as A steady synth undulates through the track and melts away in melancholy, dreamy notes before waves lull the track to an end.

A creamy, all-encompassing synth sound shifts below solidly throbbing drums to start “Driftin’.” George Holliday’s silky, feather-light vocals carry the hopeful lyrics. The main melody exudes encouragement and kindness. Bells and delicate strings flicker and shine, adding more brightness to the track. Sax descends in a rich line as George Holliday’s vocals trip through the music with complete relaxation.

I am enamoured of the heartfelt sax solo that radiates passionate energy, intricately wheeling through the music. Glittering chimes flit and clouds of warming sound combine.  The main sax line echoes out, earnest and emotive, as luscious sounds rise and a xylophone briefly adds another colour to the music. The song ends on George Holliday’s delicate voice.

A sense of freeing love fills the lyrics as the narrator talks about how he’s “driftin’, soarin’, flyin’ through the skies, never fallin’” and how everything is dreamy and floating as each day is “like a summer mornin’.” He talks about how light shines where there was only darkness because the other person has “lit an ocean of fire in this heart.”

As bells ring and the sun sets, our storyteller talks about how the stars rise and “pastel skies light up this town.” During the day there are “blue rolling seas, gold crashing waves” and a breeze like the other person’s lips touching his face. He describes summer’s warmth and balmy sunset air as he smells the other person’s “vanilla scent on every strand of golden hair.” The narrator describes “fairground lights, bonfire flames. Just how it should be.”

Our storyteller speaks of ascending because the other person gave him “wings when mine were dyin.” Now as the song ends he talks about how he feels he is “cruisin’, coastin’, chasin’ the wind.”

“Atlantic” commences as sparkling, ever so light notes spin and deep bass wells up. Sharp sounds flow as shimmering notes arpeggiate and bass rises and fills the sonic space. Broad-sounding, slightly sharp-edged chords move with an effective tinge of pained emotion.

Steady, gruff sounds mingle and an arpeggio keeps slowly turning while metallic chimes tremble together. Elevated, softly touching sounds move before wide-sounding, medium-low synth carries a settling melody with a hint of hurt. Bright chimes weave through the music and\sharp-edged sounds move together. Intense bass depth evokes open water and the track ends on chimes alone.

Conclusion

Riviera is an album that I find truly transporting. L’Avenue creates music that takes me away from the world’s darkness and sweeps me away from daily concerns. The evocative, emotive nature of his music helps me to let go and free myself for a little while and that’s a gift as far as I’m concerned.