Review: 'Saving Grace' by When Rivers Meet

When Rivers Meet Saving Grace

By Mike O’Cull

British blues/rock multi award-winners duo When Rivers Meet kick the dreaded sophomore slump right in the teeth with their mighty second record Saving Grace. Released on One Road Records, it delivers a batch of energetic and well-written rock-oriented material that’s punched-up and fresh while still maintaining the go-for-broke attitude of blues/rock’s Golden Era.

Married couple Grace Bond (lead vocals, mandolin, violin) and Aaron Bond (guitar, vocals) are a formidable musical pair and have the required magic touch when it comes to creating new songs that channel an old-school vibe without sounding like an imitation. They tracked these new songs at the Boathouse studio in Suffolk with producer and engineer Adam Bowers. Bowers is the proper third party for the Bonds, able to expand their ideas into fully-illustrated recordings that hit their targets dead-on. He also played bass, keys, drums, and trumpet on the record.

When Rivers Meet exploded onto the UK scene with their debut EP The Uprising in April of 2019 and followed it up with a second EP Innocence of Youth in May of 2020 and their LP We Fly Free November 20, 2020. Their dual vocal, dirty guitar, mandolin, and fiddle sound quickly became popular. Grace and Aaron built a constantly-expanding fan base in the online world, gained critical acclaim, and toured all over the UK in their converted Volkswagen camper. Covid cramped their touring style but their Facebook livestream series ‘Rock The Lockdown’ regularly draws hundreds of thousands of viewers eager to hear WRM jam. Even cooler, When Rivers Meet won four times at the 2021 UK Blues Awards, garnering honors for “Blues Band of the Year,” “Blues Album of the Year,” “Emerging Blues Artist of the Year,” and “Most Inspirational Online Performance of the Year.”

Saving Grace opens with “I Can’t Fight This Feeling,” a torqued-up blues/rocker with Led Zeppelin leanings that deals with the way that our passions can spiral out of control. It’s a striking track that grabs you by the scruff with a big riff and wailing vocals and refuses to let you loose. The song immediately turns you on to Grace’s big vocal tones and Aaron’s howling guitar, making you all too willing to go where they take you. It’s a grand introduction to this bunch for new fans and makes a perfect first song for the set.

“Never Coming Home” is a jumping, slide guitar and mandolin rocker with a big beat and an even bigger chorus. WRM conjures the wild and free sound of the early 70s in an authentic way here that’s brilliant and inspiring. They put across a righteous, overwhelming wave of energy that’s impossible not to respond to, which is likely to cause a sudden, spontaneous dance party.

“Don’t Tell Me Goodbye” shows the polar opposite side of this talented duo. It’s a sad, emotional soul ballad that starts in a dark place and stays there, breaking hearts in a profoundly simple way that’s stark and unforgettable. Sometimes, it’s the quiet moments that come to define an album and this amazing cut does exactly that. Tune into what it’s really saying and you’ll feel it.

“Testify” rocks hard, using a guitar and organ combination on top of a headstrong beat that’s relentless and physical. Grace soars on the microphone over the top of this rough-hewn banger and turns in one of her best performances on the record. She and Aaron truly understand rock and roll from the inside out and their love of it powers everything they do. Be sure to also get busy with other standout cuts on Saving Grace including “Lost and Found” and “Make A Grown Man Cry.” When Rivers Meet is the genuine article and has a terrific roots-based sound that will undoubtedly blow up around the world. Make sure you’re already in the know when it happens.

Watch “Testify”