Earl J Rivard’s voice mesmerizes on his latest release, Underground Railroad. The 13-track album exemplifies Rivard’s prowess for singing. Bearing resemblance to Josh Groban, Rivard sings with intense passion, captivating the listener wholeheartedly.
Rivard hasn’t had an easy life. Struck by a drunk driver when he was an infant, he was left blind and partially paralyzed. However, these obstacles never hindered his pursuit of music. His motivation to learn to play guitar led Rivard to reclaim sensitivity and strength in his injured limb, ultimately giving him a sophisticated guitar style.
Well known for his live performances, Rivard can be found playing around the Bay Area as a solo artist as well as with backing musicians. Combining his soulful singing style with guitar, piano and percussion, Rivard offers much diversity. Whether it’s his gospel-esque vocals or his beautiful bilingual tracks, he is one artist to watch.
Beginning the album almost as a PSA announcement, Rivard says, “Warning: The following song will offend some ears. Skip it, if you must. The real obscenity is the United States government breaking up families as a matter of policy.” Soon after, a chant in Spanish segues into guitar accompaniment and Rivard’s gospel like vocals. A tale of a mother torn from her son during the 1800s, Rivard’s passionate singing style helps get across some of the atrocities that went on in the United States’ past while making it relatable and relevant to us today.
The impassioned opening track quickly switches gears to a slow and romantic ballad of love. “Till I Met You” is a beautiful tale accompanied by soaring piano and string features. “With lips of fragrant fire/You stir my love’s desire/And I just never knew/How sweet love was/Till I met you”, Rivard sings. A simple song, the listener feels the emotion within the moving lyrics and fitting vocals provided by Rivard. The light piano and strings are a welcomed supplement to Rivard’s angelic and soothing voice.
While the majority of Underground Railroad is ballads of love and loss, “The Sun Finally Rose” is a more upbeat track. Demonstrating his ability to sing faster-paced songs, he is successful in getting the song’s energy adequately across to the listener. With a huge buildup towards the end of the track, the crescendo impresses.
The only non-English tracks, “Magdalena” and “Vuélvete” at first seem peculiar on the album. While most listeners may not fully understand what is being sung, Rivard’s ability to transcend the emotion throughout his vocals in each song never falls short. While “Magdalena” offers a solid guitar interlude, “Vuélvete” slows things down, once again showcasing Rivard’s versatility and ability when singing in multiple languages.
“Lady, Sweet Lady” begins with soft acoustic guitar finger picking and at first sounds like it could be a hymn sung in church. With additional flute and keyboard accompaniment, the instruments provide light background music allowing his voice to shine. “Yours Eternally” closes the album before the radio edit of “Underground Railroad.” A beautiful ballad professing lifelong love, Rivard sings, “I want to meet you down the aisle/I wonder if the sight of you in white/Would make me smile or make me cry/I want to love you till I die”. With string and piano arrangements combined with Rivard’s beautiful vocals, “Yours Eternally” leaves the greatest impact.
Whether he’s singing at notable venues throughout San Francisco, jazz clubs in Oakland or on his latest release, Underground Railroad, Earl J Rivard is an inspiration to music lovers everywhere. A child blinded and paralyzed who turned to music; Rivard’s tale is nothing short of a success story. His latest release showcases his passion and love for life while his vocals leave the listener in awe. One can only imagine what witnessing Rivard live is like, however listeners garner an adequate idea throughout his latest release, Underground Railroad.
Review by Annie Reuter
