Eurovision 2022: Ochman – River Review
Written by Callum Rowe on 28th February 2022
Ochman and his ballad River will fly the flag for Poland at Eurovision this year and the whole arrangement carries contradictions that make it frustrating yet memorable.
The tracks opening bars of a piano should be cut. Ochman’s voice is the most confident element of the three minutes and should carry the song from word go. His singing is so self-assured and he tries hard to mask the areas of the song that need work musically.
The chorus of River is simple and that’s part of what makes it memorable. It’s not a world-beating chorus it must be said, but it ticks the right boxes for the song as a whole. There’s a classy string arrangement that builds through the second verse before reaching a crescendo in the middle eight.
What makes River frustrating is the impact that elements – such as the drums – on the track really bring the level down. Tidy up the production and we’d be listening to something entirely different.
