GETTIN’ SWEPT BY THE WATERS OF “COLD RIVER” BY EDDY LEE RYDER

The vaguely defined genre of “Gothic Americana” is almost always an instant hit with us, and in the case of Eddy Lee Ryder’s “Cold River”, not 10 seconds had passed when I was entirely on board with the desert-backroads journey she was proposing.

The often-moody Alternative New York-based artist might as well be based out of a snake farm in Nevada, because the vibes don’t lie and the dark Country-rock Ballad cuts through the air with a desert-night chill, living up to the first half of its name right away. The song easily freezes time around itself like a bubble, and before you realize what’s going on, you’ve been submerged into its depths by the rip current of the Lonestar guitar twangs and dark pop accents.

“Cold River” takes on the universal subject of heartache and runs it through the moonshine distiller of Country rock music, right to the crossroads where it meets up with Goth and the Baroque pop of artists like Lana Del Rey; it does so impeccably well, communicating a lot about what you can find in Ryder’s repertoire: Strong vocals and even stronger songwriting.

Ryder’s voice is stunning to be sure, but it’s never overstated or gratuitous. I have nothing but mad respect for singers like her, who rely on storytelling, prose and composition first instead of just belting impressive notes over and over. “I’ve tried to write stories that people aren’t expecting to be drawn into,” she says, spelling it out plainly for us: She is in love with music and songwriting, not the sound of her own voice.

I figure you should take this song out with you on a long drive if you can, it’s great driving music and that’s entirely by design. America is a vast land webbed with long and lonesome highways whose sceneries straddle the line between isolating melancholy and the overwhelming sensation of boundless freedom, and this song fits the mood perfectly; Eddy Lee Ryder has the dialect of “Gothic Americana” (or whatever you wanna call it) down to a T, and the very deliberate soundscape of “Cold River” is proof of that.

After getting soaked in the Cold River, I knew I had to go get acquainted with the rest of her Spotify playlist, and the songs were different enough that you could really appreciate the versatility of her sound, but there’s still that honey drop of smokey Honky-Tonk in each and every one. So Don’t be a fool and sleep on Eddy Lee Ryder. She’s about to have a great year, I can feel it.

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