B-Side Guys

A cassette tape hiss is the perfect intro to “Like A River,” where Dustin Dale Gaspard’s Louisiana roots tangle with vintage soul like kudzu on an old oak. This Grammy-considered troubadour has crafted the antidote to modern love’s digital sterility, deliberately choosing analog warmth over digital precision.

The song’s intentionally loose tracking creates a gloriously imperfect backdrop, like a well-worn family photo that’s more beautiful for its creases. There’s something magical about how the limitations of tape capture actually enhance the authenticity – every wobble and waver feels like a secret handshake between artist and listener.

Gaspard’s lyrics flow with the natural cadence of Southern storytelling, mixing metaphors of rivers and romance with the casual brilliance of a front porch philosopher. “Muddy water is better than money” isn’t just a line; it’s a whole lifestyle distilled into six words. The aquatic imagery throughout isn’t just clever wordplay – it’s a celebration of love’s fluid nature, its ability to adapt and persist through drought and flood alike.

The promise to “learn to backstroke for you honey” captures the essence of commitment better than any diamond commercial ever could. It’s about adaptation, about changing yourself not because you have to, but because love makes you want to. The kitchen-dance romance of it all feels as natural as breathing, as essential as water itself.

What sets this track apart is its commitment to emotional authenticity over technical perfection. The deliberate roughness of the recording doesn’t obscure the message – it amplifies it. This is love in its natural habitat, unfiltered and unprocessed, as raw as the feelings it describes.

From proposing via nursery rhyme (“Row row row in my boat”) to offering his last name, Gaspard manages to make grand romantic gestures feel as casual as Saturday morning coffee. His South Louisiana heritage bleeds through every note, creating something that feels both deeply personal and universally accessible.

“Like A River” stands as proof that sometimes the most powerful love songs are the ones that don’t try to polish away their rough edges. It’s a reminder that real love, like real music, isn’t about perfection – it’s about finding beauty in the flow, even when (especially when) the waters get muddy.