Riki - 'Riki' Album Review

Tracklist:

1. Strohmann

2. Napoleon

3. Böse Lögen (Body Mix)

4. Know

5. Earth Song

6. Spirit Of Love

7. Come Inside

8. Monumental

There is very much an eighties vibe to the music on this album, the vocals, however, feel like they belong on a different record at times, they are verging on the ethereal while the music is 80’s Synth Pop.

I have listened a few times and still can’t decide if it works or not. I suspect if this does it for you you are totally gone to love it. I just couldn’t connect with it.

Every so often it feels like it’s really coming together and I do wonder if a few more listens would help me get it but it never quite all gels long enough or often enough for me.

I kept waiting for something to hook me in and let me inside but it just hasn’t happened so far. The music made me feel like I was listening to a long lost classic from OMD, Soft Cell or even the Human League at times. Although there is another artist it reminds me of but despite having racked my brains I just cant think who it is!

As a whole, however, it never quite worked for me, probably the best song on the album is 'Earth Song', it’s the one where it all comes together more than any other songs but even then it’s not quite all there.

I found myself wanting to get it as I can sense there are a lot of good ideas at play here and the understanding of 80’s Synth Pop and Electronica is excellent, give it a listen, you might get what I’m not hearing. If we all liked the same music it would be far too boring after all.

I know nothing about Riki as an artist and am not sure of all of the influences at play here but I would take a pretty good guess that a lot of Electronic and Synth music features.