RICHES OF THE POOR RELEASE ‘THE LONG WAY DOWN’

Riches Of The Poor

Riches Of The Poor - The Long Way Down

RICHES OF THE POOR RELEASE ‘THE LONG WAY DOWN’

Berlin, Germany’ alt-rock outfit Riches Of The Poor just dropped a new album, entitled The Long Way Down – “cathartic songs that speak directly to the lovesick heart.”

Riches Of The Poor

Riches Of The Poor

Explaining the back and forth push and pull of joy and sorrow in the songs, frontman Miky says, “There’s an almost comic element to this angry complaining.”

Born in Philly to Israeli parents, singer-songwriter Miky shifted from place to place prior to landing in Berlin in 2004. Since he’d played in bands most of his life, Berlin’s music scene was just what the doctor ordered. After going solo for a while, he hooked up with Simon, Daniel, and Ferdinand to write music that eventually formed the foundation for Riches Of The Poor, a name borrowed from a Morrissey lyric.

“Morning After” blends new wave-flavored jazz tints with alt-rock and hints of dream-pop topped by delicate, atmospheric vocals.

Encompassing eight-tracks, the album begins with “Behave,” opening on dual layers of strident colors, low-slung, and taut with pressure. Miky’s evocative voice infuses the lyrics with edgy savors of portent. When the tune ramps up, jangly suffusions form a wall of sound, both gripping and gleaming.

Entry points include “Please,” traveling on dark, growling guitars segueing into an austere alt-rock melody on a crunching oblique rhythm. “Morning After” blends new wave-flavored jazz tints with alt-rock and hints of dream-pop topped by delicate, atmospheric vocals.

“Needle” features a sparkling intro riding tasty percussion and then transitions to a driving alt-rock melody with slight elements of post-punk and slouching new wave appearing, giving the tune a raw tang. “Again” is vaguely reminiscent of The Cure, with its new wave relish, only exuding dirty coloration, while the final track, “Home,” merges dream-pop shimmers with new wave surfaces.

All eight-tracks serve the band well, delivering elusive, sometimes fragile wisps of kaleidoscopic soundscapes. For a fact, The Long Way Down is excellent.

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