REVIEW: Riley! - To Live And Die In The American South
- Julia Stark
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
From humble beginnings recording in bedrooms to cultivating a sound that shouts emphatically across genres, RILEY! have defied their red state belt origins to bring progression, vulnerability, and hardened edge in their debut EP To Live And Die In The American South. RILEY! channel their life experiences, the feelings of being left behind and the contradiction of wanting to be seen whilst hiding away from the world, into classically Midwest Emo melodies with explosive drums and a hardcore edge to the riffs.
RILEY! demonstrate a tireless grit and galvanising sound that has seen them undertake headline tours and support slots with HOT MULLIGAN and SATURDAYS AT YOUR PLACE, their tenacity seeing them fast track from underground cult-favourites to the next wave of genre pioneers. There’s an unmistakable soul within To Live And Die In The American South that speaks to all young musicians aspiring to start a band with their best friends, the essence of yearning for something better complemented by their homegrown rhythms and impactful lyrics.
Dealing a critical hit from the opening muffled notes and raw screams, Roll For Initiative delivers compact but hefty riffs from vocalist/guitarist Ryan Bluhm as their rending screams explore existential dread, while Kris Gallardo keeps a running bassline by their side and Cesar “Izzy” Izaguirre holds us grounded with their steely beats. Another Round Of ‘Ritas, Please seems to have a double entendre to its emotive lyrics, the core theme centred on feeling left out and left behind veiling the EP’s already established existential crisis in the opening lyrics “I was thinking I was gonna dip out soon”. Tades Sullivan (HOT MULLIGAN) lends forceful yells to the fervent track echoing Bluhm’s cynical acceptance “if I were you I’d hate me more”.
Maintaining the reflective sentiments that ripple through the EP, Two Bucks centres a strong focus on its rhythms and guitar licks that give emphasis to the heavier lyrics, feeling slightly restrained for the intro before the chorus catapults in with Eric Egan (HEART ATTACK MAN) adding breadth to the gradual build of blended emo, punk, and indie aspects. Backseat Bartender leans back into the emo roots that inspire RILEY! whilst balancing the lyrical intensity against the pulsing beats and riffs, ensuring every facet of the track gets its moment in the sun, Gabe Wood (SATURDAYS AT YOUR PLACE) bringing a solid foundation to the vocals on the steadily rising breakdown of clashing instrumentals.
73 Summers closes out the EP with the rawest parts, stepping away from the frenzy of the other tracks into a simpler rhythm and beat that combines with Bluhm’s vulnerable words to give a gravity to the song’s themes of grief and life’s brevity. The instruments increase in power as if trying to make you see for yourself how fleeting everything is and how you must do something about it, or perhaps the rise in volume is an attempt to drown out the helplessness. To Live And Die In The American South is an EP built from RILEY!’s own experiences and observations, yet invites you to find an affinity within the words and melodies, to match your own feeling of loneliness to theirs and know you’re not alone in this landscape of turmoil.
Score: 8/10
To Live And Die In The American South will be released on 17th July 2026 via Pure Noise Records.
Words: Julia Stark
Photos: Riley!
Comments