Nick Harper - Riven

Riven is Nick Harper's 8th studio album.It's a typically eclectic mix of songs and styles, but with a light and a dark side, split down the middle by the title track.So, up front we have 6 minute songs like 'Juicy Fruit Girl' - a staccato paean to late 20th century popular culture with a witty look at things like Postman's Knock, along with 'Love Is Due' a rambling acoustic love story set around baggage in airports and beyond, to lighter tunes like 'Sunshine' inspired by the birth of Harper's son and that round shiny thing recently a feature in the sky in the UK.On the darker side Harper lurches into a visceral strident attack on Kelvin Mackenzie in 'Plague of Toads' and swings a cynical folky kick in the nuts to Nick Clegg in 'The Incredible Melting Man'.In essence it is the work of an artist given free reign to express himself outside the confines of the 'music business' devoid of compromise and led by artistic whims rather than commercial dictates, With Tchad Blake producing (Tom Waits, Peter Gabriel, Crowded House, etc.) and Jeremy Stacey on drums (Noel Gallagher, Waterboys, Sheryl Crow etc.) and guest appearances from Jon Leveller (Levellers); Jakko Jakszyk (King Crimson,Level 42) Lily Harper (Roy's grand-daughter), the legendary invisible Aussie rock singer Dave Graney and vocal arrangements by composer Ben Jones Riven has a rich, lush sound throughout, but never loses focus on Nick's trademark soaring vocals and blistering (mainly acoustic) guitar work.