Indie Music Album Reviews

The Quiet Riders - The Quiet Riders

4/21/2023

The Quiet Riders

The Quiet Riders
self-released; 2023

By Matt Jensen

The Quiet Riders came together in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tuck, Matt, Caden and Josh got together for some impromptu recording sessions (because there was nothing else to do), and wrote much of their debut album The Quiet Riders on the spot. They mention bands like The Meters, The Grateful Dead and Allman Bros that have a similar quality and I would agree. They make upbeat music that to my ears sounds like it’s meant to be experienced live. The band has the jam band quality that’s easy to groove to but are also more than that.

They get going with “Sixes on Straight '' where it doesn't take long for them to lay down some fun riffs and rhythms you can move to. The vocals which are very heartfelt and pure sound great. They take you through a dynamic voyage and are impressive. I was ready to hear more.

“Marvin” is up next and this song is more lush and down tempo. You quickly sink into the silky guitars, warm piano and other instruments. The band is in no rush here as they create steady grooves with backbone. “Up In Smoke” has a similar lush feel but on this song you have vocals. The song subtly fuses with more energy but the vocalist keeps it in the lower register which works for the song.

The band started to groove again on “Donny.” It’s funky yet they keep it fairly contained. The song is played in a jazzy way as well. This is a very ’90’s term but it had an acid jazz type of aesthetic.

“Keep The Faith” was one of the highlights. I thoroughly enjoyed the vocal performance on this song. The organ hits the right frequencies and the band is just on point here with their parts. They are playing what needs to be played to support the song and nothing more.

We got some crunchy grooves with “Rubberband Strut” which is one of these songs that I felt like I needed to hear live with a beer in my hand. Those college memories started to flood back. Another clear highlight was the rolling “Sticks & Stones” where you can clearly hear the Grateful Dead influence. “Anderson” is a bit sensual and sexy and I say that as a compliment. They close with “Peter Pan” which is a dream-like song with a hint of melancholy.

The band sounds great and they hit it out of the park on this release. I expect more great things to come from The Quiet Riders.