Dree Rivers Stays True to His Roots with 'HEARTTHROB CAPSULE II'

Kieran Kohorst
//
2/18/2023

The passage of time has seen regionalism in music decisively fade away, but in Houston, a voice rises from the ashes to reestablish the city’s trademark sound. You can’t change what made you, and Dree Rivers couldn’t change the DNA of his music if he tried. HEARTTHROB CAPSULE II, the second installment of a developing series, stays true to the vision established in his past work with a clear elevation in focus and polish. “Swang” captures Rivers’ charisma at its peak, detailing the pitfalls of mixing the organic highs of love with the manufactured highs of drugs. While the opener is satisfyingly relaxed, its lone follow-up is deceiving in its simplicity. Upon first listen, Rivers’ acoustic cover of Kirko Bangz’s “Drank In My Cup” separates itself from the original by maintaining a connective arrogance, offset with Rivers’ melodic tendencies. Both songs are stripped nearly to the bone, revealing what we all knew was there all along: the anatomy of a city inseparable from its descendants. 

HEARTTHROB CAPSULE II arrives as Rivers has serious momentum building. His previous singles have been featured on Spotify playlists “New Music Friday” and “Ripple Effect: Texas." They have also made their way onto SiriusXM station “Sound 42 Music Culture by Drake.” His ties to Houston are embedded in his relationship with The Chopstars, a group that keeps the legacy of DJ Screw and Houston’s intoxicating past alive today. Several of Rivers’ songs have been awarded a ChopNotSlop Remix by DJ Candlestick, an ode to the chopped and screwed phenomenon that you can still hear coming out of speakers today. As he strengthens his catalog, his roots grow deeper into the city that made him.

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