Ra Ra Riot - The Orchard (2010) [Barsuk] // Grade: B-

The powerfully grandiose pop stylings of the usually underrated Ra Ra Riot have finally released their second album The Orchard. The 6 piece band have blown audiences away due to their charismatic energy on stage and by mixing in a variety of instruments (guitars, cello, violin, keyboards & drums) it’s natural to understand why. Ra Ra Riot’s music takes the upbeatness of pop, mixes it with the monumental effect that an orchestra can provide but then takes a turn for the melodramatic with singer Wesley Miles high pitched passionate voice trembling through those epic melodies. The Orchard seems to be a much more reflective album than the band’s previous The Rhumb Line and with the tragic loss of their original drummer John Pike (due to a drowning) there’s no doubt that the band has a lot to look back on and express.

This album alternates epically dramatic tracks “The Orchard”, “Foolish”, and “Kansai” (that create such a full bodied sound due to the use of cello and violin) with spunkier pop influenced tracks “Boy”, “Shadowcasting”, and the 80s synth influenced “Foolish”. The slightly whiney warbling of Alexandra Lawn’s vocals mixed with toy music box sounding keyboards on “You and I Know” made me picture some girl sitting in her room melodramatically yearning over a lover’s trials and tribulations. The album highlight for me is song “Massachusetts” which is a phenomenal preppy track, although it’s hard not to draw a comparison to Vampire Weekend while listening to it (however, it is by no means a replica of their sound). “Keep It Quiet” uses a drum beat that mimics a heart beat (or at least that what it sounds like to me), poetic lyrics like “cold water for cooling down” and “it’s a cruel life I choose”, and Rebecca Zeller’s somber violin creates a beautifully saddening track to cap off the album.

Ra Ra Riot have not disappointed on The Orchard, if anything I think this album will impress the loyal fans and hopefully bring attention to a new audience for this often overshadowed band.

- purpleplaid