The Riflebirds Of Portland: "April" (1989/2026) CD Review

In the late 1980s and very early 1990s, many albums were released only on cassette, which at the time was not a problem, because everyone not only had a cassette player as part of his or her home stereo, but most cars came with tape decks too. And let's not forget boom boxes. Cassettes were everywhere. Now, not so much. Since that time, a lot of those albums have gotten CD, and even vinyl, releases. Others have not. I'm still waiting for that sole Tree Full Of Crows album to come out on CD, as well as the first few Jim Infantino albums. Those are east coast artists. On the west coast, there was The Riflebirds, now known as The Riflebirds Of Portland. That group's 1989 album, April, was one of those cassette-only releases. And now, thirty-seven years later (holy moly, has that much time really passed?), it is getting a CD release (and a vinyl release). And it has been remastered by Sean Magee at Abbey Road Studios in London, with some post production work by Adam Pike at Sound Asylum in Pasadena. The album features mostly original material, along with one cover. The band is made up of Kate Oser on vocals, Lee Oser on bass and rhythm guitar, Kevin Kraft on lead guitar, and Kevin Jarvis on drums and percussion. There are several additional musicians playing on various tracks, including Michael Danner on keyboards.

The album opens with "Pieces Of Time," which begins with a beat. And then, as the other instruments and vocals come in, a dreamy aspect is created. "Maybe tomorrow/Maybe sometime/We'll fly a spaceship across the sky/And settle on a world somewhere/On which you are always near." The album's title is mentioned in the lyrics to this song: "Maybe in April/When flowers thrill/I'll meet you walking upon a hill." Those moments when the vocals take on more power are expecially striking. The great Phil Parlapiano plays accordion on this track, adding another delightful layer, and Kenny Edwards plays bass. This song was written by Lee Oser and Marvin Etzioni. It's followed by "Memory Street," which has a cool vibe from its start. "I always thought that I was the strong one/Pain was a word that would never find me." There is an interesting effect, with what seems like an extra beat or breath in a line, keeping us on our toes. This track features some really nice guitar work. Jerry Donahue is on lead guitar, and Marvin Etzioni (of Lone Justice) is on acoustic guitar. This song was written by Marvin Etzioni. By the way, Marvin produced the original release of this album, and then returned for this reimagined version.

"Dreaming Of A Kiss" was released as a single in 1986 (on vinyl). The version here, as listed, is an alternate mix. There is a delicious pop energy to this song, and this version features some excellent work by Skip Parente on fiddle, which works in a delightful contrast to that great guitar work. The combination of those two sounds is fantastic here. There is a strong vocal performance as well. It all adds up to something special, and this song is one of my favorite tracks. I love that vocal work at the end, which takes us into a different place, where desire moves beyond words. This song was written by Lee Oser. The band slows things down then with "Michael," a beautiful song. Interestingly, there is some vocal work at the beginning of this one, some pretty humming before the lyrics. "When I look into your eyes/I see the world go by/Like a cloud alone at the edge of the sky." Wow, what a gorgeous and moving vocal performance. "Take a hard look at the city between us/Nobody else could find you/As the day dims to evening/There are no angels singing." Greg Leisz joins the band on pedal steel, Jim Garafolo is on bass. This is a completely captivating song, another of my personal favorites. It was written by Lee Oser.

Kate Oser delivers another beautiful vocal performance on "The Rain," and Skip Parente lends his talent on fiddle to this track. "I'm ready for a change/The world is not the same/So I think that I could pray/For many rainy days." What, a band in Oregon singing about the rain? Crazy. I lived up there for five years, and it rained every day from September through April. Marvin Etzioni delivers some nice work on mandolin on this track. "I feel I could sleep/And not awake/But if something could grow/Like roots beneath the snow." This song was written by Lee Oser. There is then an interesting intensity to the pop sound at the beginning of "After Today." And it has a good opening line: "The last time we kissed I was thinking to myself, we're done." And it takes off from there. This song is a delight, featuring some good work on horns. Scott Schuerman plays trumpet, and Doug Weiselman plays the other horns and did the horn arrangement. "After today, it's gonna get better." Oh, I hope so. Listening to this music, I believe it. This wonderful song was written by Lee Oser and Marvin Etzioni.

The drum at the beginning of "All I Know" feels like it's announcing the commencement of some somber ritual, and then the acoustic guitar has a wonderful folk sound. This one also features a different vocal approach, Kate taking hold of us with the first line. "Tears won't shake me/Dreams won't wake me/Like you do." This music is really something special. I need to hear more from this band. The band reunited and released a new album last year, which is good news for people who love music. I hope I get the chance to see these guys perform. "All I Know" is followed by the album's sole cover, The Beatles' "And Your Bird Can Sing," which is actually a bit jarring when it starts, particularly after the beautiful spell created by the previous song. It's not that they don't do a good job with this song; they certainly do. It's some jangle pop bliss. Andrew Williams plays electric guitar on this track. I also really like the bass line. It's interesting that The Riflebirds Of Portland covered The Beatles and then were able to remaster the album at Abbey Road Studios. 

The album concludes with "Might As Well Stay," which was the flip side of the band's 1987 "On A Day Like This" single. The album version is a bit longer. It fades in, eases in, approaching gently. "We'll see how we feel when the sun comes up." There is something strangely soothing about the music, and then halfway through, it picks up in energy. "I thought I'd be walking on air/Thought I'd love you anywhere." This track contains a good bass line, which figures prominently. Marvin Etzioni plays bass on this one. I love how the song returns to a softer realm again in the second half. As it faded in, it fades out. This song was written by Lee Oser and Marvin Etzioni.

CD Track List

1. Pieces Of Time
2. Memory Street
3. Dreaming Of A Kiss (alternate mix)
4. Michael
5. The Rain
6. After Today
7. All I Know
8. And Your Bird Can Sing
9. Might As Well Stay

April was released on CD and vinyl on April 3, 2026.