The phenomenon of one book writers litters literary history. Outstanding novelists such as J.D. Salinger, Margaret Mitchell, Dow Mossman, and Ralph Ellison, among others, built their artistic reputations on one pivotal novel and wrestled with writing or publishing a follow-up for the remainder of their lives. Despite this, their reputations loom. Oregon songwriter Keith A. Getchell has written one song, “Send Your River”, and he doesn’t need to write another. Let’s hope that he does because his talents are obvious and substantial, but he’s delivered a magnificent little gem with “Send Your River” that will echo long after he shuffles off this mortal coil.
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It certainly is a polished musical work. The considerable time and effort that Getchell invests in the final product pays off with a song that radiates warmth and skill. The production wreaths the song in artful light atmospherics, nothing too pronounced, and the instrumental effects contribute mightily to the overall sound. In particular, the guitar playing has a signature quality that helps define the performance. It counterpoints the vocals quite well. Getchell also makes some surprising choices in instrumentation that further develop the song’s potential.
His lyrical content reflects considerable inspiration. It’s laden with concrete detail and specific imagery that listeners can latch onto. He recruited a female voice for the piece, a telling choice revealing his artistic intentions, and she delivered a sensitive rendering of Getchell’s writing. The R&B influence is apparent, but it’s smooth rather than fiery. She masterfully handles the vocal melody. Melody is one of the key components to making “Send Your River” so memorable.
It weaves an enchanting spell. The hypnotic swirl conjured by the song’s melodic properties begins at the outset and grows as the arrangement progresses. Getchell shows surprising sophistication for a novice songwriter. Nothing about “Send Your River” panders to simplistic reactions or appeals to the lowest common denominator. It’s a pop song, without question, but it has top-shelf merits exceeding similar cookie-cutter efforts in this vein.
The song’s underlying inspiration is never crudely obvious. What began as an ode to Portland soon became a very personal track. It became about growing up as a lonely young homosexual trying to escape the influence of his family and religion through alcohol and ultimately meaningless sex. It took several years to arrive at a final and finished song, but the journey proved well worth it.
Keith A. Getchell has a song to his credit that will stand as an indelible accomplishment for the rest of his life. He’s in his 60s now, happy, settled in a healthy relationship, and “Send Your River” stands as an impassioned testimony of the voyage that brought him to that place. It holds up under repeated listens. It may be the only song to Getchell’s credit, but let’s hope for more. Despite the lengthy birth of “Send Your River”, Getchell comes across as an artist with many things to say. He has a powerful and dramatic voice as a writer that sounds far from finished.
Garth Thomas