Lately (as in the past year or so) the vast majority of new indie rock has done nothing but bore me to sleep. One of the few indie rock bands that has truly piqued my interest is Ra Ra Riot. Their recent full-length The Rhumb Line is full of the energy and melody that is missing from so many other releases within the wide-spanning indie rock genre. The stringed orchestration that plays alongside jangly guitars and scattershot drum rhythms adds a nice (and almost score-like) layer to this already-catchy batch of songs. It is an easy-on-the-ears sound that falls somewhere between Vampire Weekend’s lively buoyancy and the aching melodies of The Smiths. It is music that (much like the Vampire Weekend album) I’d find it hard to imagine anyone would dislike. The universalism of The Rhumb Line is (instead of just meaning that the music is watered down for consumption by the lowest common denominator) simply proportional to the quality of the songwriting and the arrangements. Heck some of the vocals and phrasing even remind me a bit of Paul McCartney, which can’t be too bad a thing, right? With The Rhumb Line, Ra Ra Riot has made what is a rarity for me in 2008; an indie rock album I really enjoy. It is out now on Barsuk Records.
MP3 | Ra Ra Riot – St. Peter’s Day Festival The Rhumb Line
MP3 | Ra Ra Riot – Dying Is Fine The Rhumb Line
These guys are pretty rad, and they’re one of the few really good bands to come out of Syracuse, so it’s something all the little indie kids here are proud of.