SPIRALS

“the only way out is through”

Toronto’s Thomas Paxton-Beesley returns as River Tiber with a short, but strong, three song project, Spirals. Best known for his sampled song “West” in SZA’s “Broken Clocks,” Paxton-Beesley continues to expand the sonic environment he has been creating since his 2022 full length LP, Dreaming Eyes, with an illustriously wispy result. With a short 9 minute run-time, this bite size project explores a slow, abstract story of insecurity within love.

The project opens on “Not the Same,” where crooning vocals linger on the impossibility of recreating a once-held love, carried by quick, restless drums that melt into a smooth bass halfway through. It transitions into the title track, “Spirals,” which peels away the rose-tinted romance to confront a period of conflict. “You’re speaking in spirals, turning us against each other,” Paxton-Beesley pleads, later warning, “They sink a hook in you, a hurricane of confusion. You’re speaking in spirals.” The project closes with “Blues,” a slow, delicate ballad built on glittering synths and violin that snaps back to the emotional core of the opener. Revisiting both tenderness and tension, the track ultimately resolves with quiet devotion: “If there is time, waste it with you.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this project, and it underscores what makes River Tiber so compelling to me: his simplicity. He first captured my attention with “Taurus,” a single from the aforementioned Dreaming Eyes, which stands as his clearest demonstration of how powerful lyrical restraint can be. While the lyrics are disarmingly simple, the production is anything but, lending added weight to every word. Each guitar strum, drum hit, and synth buzz is meticulously placed, creating a soundscape that feels both intentional and intimate. I hope this project serves as a stepping stone toward a full-length release, as the emotional environment he establishes here has the potential to evolve into something truly gorgeous and lasting.