The work of German foursome Riches of the Poor is steeped in the raw tenacity of classic indie rock, the dense and atmospheric guitars of shoegaze, and the rippling melodies of Britpop. The band works from a strict non-adherence to genre formalities, imbuing their songs with a wild and undiluted rhythmic nature that plays to their strength as spontaneous architects of cathartic rock-oriented sounds. Drawing inspiration from artists such as The National and The Cure, they favor expressions of grand theatrical emotion and melancholy persuasions, opting to create entire worlds brimming with manic life and kinetic movements.
Songwriter and frontman Miky brings a global perspective to the band, as he has lived all over the world and currently calls Berlin home. After growing up playing in various indie bands such as Dictionary and Bigmouth, and including a solo route that lasted around seven years, he eventually found common musical ground with fellow artists Simon Breth, Daniel Segerberg and Ferdinand Hübner, forming Riches of the Poor as way for them to explore their shared affection for a wide range of influences. Their forthcoming record, The Long Way Down, which is due out June 19 via Crocodile Tears Records, is a testament to the intensely personal narratives and immersive arrangements which they’ve spread out across the album.
On their latest single, “Please”, the band evokes the dense melodicism of The National and the noisy guitar rock of DIIV, finding a balance between overt theatricality and subtle emotional reconfiguration. Ripe with melancholy pop lay lines and driving guitar riffs, the track alternates between quieter moments of introspection and broader bouts of universal sentiment. Melodies tumble over opaque textures as the band works through their common inspirations to achieve the sort of rare musical equilibrium that few bands are even aware of.
The accompanying video, directed by Luciana Damiao, features a woman trying to reach the airport before a plane takes off. The band (minus Hübner who left after the record was completed and was replaced with drummer Cordelia Polinna) appear in various roles as the woman tries to track down a guitar-carrying man before he boards his flight. We come to find out that the woman is pregnant, though we aren’t told what she was trying to catch the man at the airport. This dramatic and ambiguous narrative perfectly complements the rock vagaries doled by the band, creating a seamless pairing between the visual uncertainties and the musical density.
