Stone River - Euphoria and Lovesick Blues (2014)

Stone River’s distinctive sound is deeply rooted in the South and the golden age of rock n’ roll, drawing influence from the likes of The Allman Brothers and Led Zeppelin. Following their debut album, The Valley of the Butterflies, the Toronto-based five-piece released their new album, Euphoria and Lovesick Blues, last year. The album was produced by none other than Blind Melon guitarist, Christopher Thorn, at Jukasa Studios.

StoneRiver-EuphoriaLovesickBlues-AlbumArtworkThe free-spirited quintet encapsulate rock n’ roll with a whole lot of soul. Stone River features Renan Yildizdogan (vocals, guitars), Darren Flower (guitar, vocals), Jeff Desilets (guitar), Jay Macedo (bass, vocals), and Scott Laroque (drums).

Euphoria and Lovesick Blues is packed full of mellow retro sounding southern guitar riffs infused with soulful Hammond licks and incredible vocals, particularly on tracks like “Rivers We Crossed,†“Hard Road,†and “Thank You.â€

The powerful “Hanging in the Bowline†is a standout track on the album; a slowly building classic rock monster of a track with superb slide guitar intro, sublime vocals, and Led Zep-esque undertones. On the other hand “Euphoria†is an epic jam number with an incredible solo, and a great percussion breakdown.