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AB | WEST051 | Balmorhea - Rivers Arms

Nascent understanding, quiet burgeoning desires, and the time in your life when everything seemed magical.  These are just a few of the experiences captured in Balmorhea's soulful collection of songs on Rivers Arms.  From the contented isolation of "The Winter" to the hazy heat and hopeful longing of "San Solomon," their music captures the indescribable feelings of living and growing in Texas.  Mirroring the vast Texas skies, Balmorhea's music is imbued with a visceral weight and endless space.

In April of 2007 Balmorhea released their debut, followed by several live dates in Texas and a West Coast tour.  Some of their recent shows have included performances with Stars of the Lid, Efterklang, Anathallo, The Drift, Bexar Bexar, One AM Radio, Caspian, and more.

You can watch a short film about the making of Rivers Arms here.

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"Balmorhea flashes brilliance only to highlight a slow-burning constancy that's at the core of one of the year's early slow wonders."
– Pitchfork [read full review here]
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"Balmorhea, an acoustic quartet from Austin, plays tender, bucolic instrumentals that waft and linger like the remnants of a summer afternoon."
– Time Out New York
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"There are the swells of Stravinsky, the mercurial keyboard majesty of Debussy, the triad-based romanticism of Arvo Pärt, the clangorous sensuality of Keith Jarrett, the electronics-meet-acoustics approach of Max Richter, and the beaming melodic flashes of the Takoma Records cartel (from John Fahey to George Winston, mind you)."
– Pitchfork [read full review here]
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"...they create minimalist, cinematic music that combines modern, experimental acoustic sounds with classical qualities."
– NPR's Second Stage [read and listen to the full feature here]
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"...each track plays out as a counselling session for the weary, dispensing affecting and emotionally rousing imagery like medication."
– Drowned In Sound [read full review here]
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"There are certain healing qualities to Lowe and Muller’s impermeable compositions that are tightened by a heady mix of resplendent harmonics, keening piano and engaging string arrangements. A breath of fresh air."
– Angry Ape [read full review here]
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"Mood music of the highest kind. It fits nicely along their Icelandic counterparts of Sigur Ros or some of the other Fat Cat artists..."
– Earlabs [read full review here]
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"A good many moments of stirring beauty emerge in Rivers Arms' wistful and lilting snapshots."
– Textura [read full review here]
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"Balmorhea make emotionally loaded instrumental music, and their ability to hit a raw spot in the listener is their biggest asset."
– Music Emissions [read full review here]
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"At 59 minutes, Rivers Arms is gratefully given enough time to develop and breathe. It allows the listener to settle comfortably into the entirety of the album, and once there, it’s a space that you won’t want to leave."
– Austin Sound [read full review here]
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"The album is as crisp and light as clear morning sky, its acoustic aesthetic bracing the listener with its majesty."
– The Milk Factory [read full review here]
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"...the whole album is filled with subtle and charming music that will keep you coming back."

– Foxy Digitalis [read the full review here]

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Additional coverage of Rivers Arms can be found here: Silent Ballet, Fake Jazz, Austin Chronicle, Lost in Music, Tokafi, Almost Cool, Sweet and Sour, Cannibal Cheerleader, OndaRock, Surgery Radio, Austinist, Austin Chronicle, Strange Glue, Kronica, Forest Gospel, Exclaim!, Sodapop, Audioase, Headphone Commute, Magic, Now Like Photographs, Progress Parchment