Run River North, 'Run River North'

By: David Savage

                The story of the band Run River North is an inspiring one. The Korean-American folk-rock band was offered their first shot at fame performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! after their music video, shot in their Honda, went viral. Honda gave Run River North (formerly known as Monsters Calling Home) a shot at the spotlight on Jimmy Kimmel in 2012, but they didn't have a solid record deal until now. Run River North’s self-titled debut album is set to release on February 25^th via Nettwerk Records. If the indefinite hiatus of Mumford & Sons left a void in your music library, check out Run River North.

                What a stellar debut album by the Korean-American folk-rockers, with a sound relatively derivative to bands like Mumford & Sons and Of Monsters and Men, but with such sincerity they make it their own. The six-piece band features Alex Hwang (Vocals/Guitar), Daniel Chae (Guitar/Violin), Jennifer Rim (Violin), Joseph Chun (Bass), John Chong (Drums), and Sally Kang (Vocals/Keys).

                You may notice something that isn't as present in the other big folk-rock acts. The violins. Violins are pertinent to Run River North’s sweet special sound, giving a magnificent flow, swaying throughout the record. Alex Hwang’s voice is a specialty in itself, with such a strong clean voice surrounded by brilliant and intricate harmonies. The opening track, “Monsters Calling Home”, blasts right into mountainous vocal harmonies, violin swirls, and powerful claps on the rims of the drums. The song deals with the story of an immigration struggle, a topic that seems to be near the heart of this band. Aside from stories of being immigrants the band has other marvelous tracks like “Growing Up”. This song is wrapped in different emotions; a bittersweet, youthful, and ambitious anthem about surpassing the anxieties of age with lines like “Growing old feels like you’re giving up your soul/ But I’d rather give it freely to the ones that I call home”. That song really hits home for me, and I feel like we all think about time whizzing by us.

                This self-titled debut from Run River North is an outstanding folk-driven record with elements of rock tossed into the mix forming a well-balanced album. It’s great to see that this band caught their break and can finally release a record under a label. When you’re getting ready to have that record to play with the windows down or around the fire, Run River North is there for you. Be sure to pick it up on February 25^th.

Favorite Tracks: “Growing Up”, “Monsters Calling Home”, “Banner”