When Rivers Meet 'Rhythm, Rust & Static' album review: Less polished, more daring. When Rivers Meet embrace experimentation without losing their identity.

After the bigger, shinier production of Addicted To You, Rhythm, Rust & Static feels like When Rivers Meet kicking open the studio door, dragging the amps into a dusty warehouse and seeing what happens. It's rawer, heavier and, perhaps most importantly, more adventurous.

The opening couple of tracks don't quite hint at where the album is heading. 'The Tide Is Turning' plays things relatively safe, delivering everything fans have come to expect: gritty riffs, walls of fuzz and Grace Bond's laid-back blues delivery cutting through the noise. There's even a mechanical edge lurking beneath the chorus that edges towards industrial rock without ever losing the band's identity.

Things really click with 'Caught In The Middle'. Built around handclaps, layered instrumentation and a groove that constantly pulls you back in, it's one of the album's most interesting listens. Aaron's dreamy backing vocals weave around a grinding guitar riff that gives the track real depth rather than relying on sheer volume.

Aaron steps into the spotlight again on 'Fatal Attraction', a swampy, blues-soaked number that feels like it belongs somewhere between Sinners and From Dusk Till Dawn. It's cinematic, dark and dripping with attitude.

It's the second half of the album, though, where Rhythm, Rust & Static really finds its feet. 'Horizon' removes much of the album's static and distortion, showing a different side to Grace's vocals. It begins with an almost folk-like intimacy before blooming into a soaring finale with more than a hint of Fleetwood Mac. From there, the duo continue to experiment. 'I'm Ready For You' fully embraces the album's industrial textures, pairing clanking, mechanical rhythms with deliberately unsanitised vocals that make everything feel immediate and alive.

Closing track 'Bring Life', inspired by the birth of Grace and Aaron's first child, provides an emotional landing without tipping into sentimentality.

Not every experiment lands perfectly, and the opening stretch is arguably the least adventurous part of the record. But once When Rivers Meet loosen the reins, Rhythm, Rust & Static becomes one of their most intriguing releases to date. Fans looking for more than another collection of blues-rock anthems will find plenty to get stuck into.