The Rhumb Line

Ra Ra Riot's The Rhumb Line is an engagingly strong debut full length from the much hyped New York band. Alternating between synthed out upbeat gems to tunes focused much more on the strength of the rhythm section and strings the album never dulls from start to finish. Singer Wes Miles' spot on delivery further pushes the band apart from other up-and-coming indie groups.

The album's production is polished and tight but not to the point of being glossy or generic. They definitely spent some time fine tuning their sounds in the studio. The performances are inspired and energetic. Overall, really promising debut for a band with near limitless potential. Cannot wait to hear more!

There has been a lot of recent buzz around Vampire Weekend, and it's arguable to say that these guys' sound exactly the same. They have similar sounding vocals, and they're both working the east coast vibe though. Ra Ra Riot rocking violins and percussion set these guys apart if you ask me. They're songs are well arranged and there are no lulls on the album. These are a bunch of fun and smart songs. They're not only worth a listen, but worth owning. Take this album home, and crank it up on the way with the windows down. Once you learn the lyrics you no doubt will be joining along with the windows down as long as the season permits.

The thing I love about independent music is that it often brings out elements you just can't find in the pop/mainstream genre's. When I got this album, I was blown away by the attention to musical detail and thematic elements. The sweeping string arrangements, terse and anxious vocals and poignant lyrics create an atmosphere that is hard to reproduce. The melodies in and of themselves are amazing and wonderfully expressive, but when accompanied by sweeping strings, and intricate drum lines phrasing each section in a new way, this album takes on new meaning, making you wanna slow down put on your headphones listening to every detail which will inevitably get you singing along and your foot tapping. Perhaps most importantly, I just keep going back, listening over and over again. 5 Stars for Ra Ra Riot's The Rhumb Line.

Ra Ra Riot's The Rhumb Line opens up with thundering bass, frantic snares, a chorus of echoing "oh-oh's" and beautiful cello and violins interweaving like a perfectly quilted blanket. Indeed, "Ghost Under Rocks" is one of my favourite songs of the year, and is a perfect introduction to the band (for those, like me, who missed out on the limited-release self-titled EP, anyway).

"Each Year" almost sounds like an epilogue to the album's opener, bringing the same ingredients in equal measure but without the same frantic pace, indicating that with The Rhumb Line the listen can expect more variety than the high-octane, adrenaline pumping pace the album kicks off with. This, of course, is far from a bad thing -- after all, isn't it the lulls in a roller coaster that define the death-defying drops and loops? Like the slow climb to the top of the hill on the roller coaster, it's only in those moments that you can take a look around and appreciate the beauty that surrounds you; in this case, the lush and enveloping orchestration that makes Ra Ra Riot memorable.

St. Peter's Day Festival plays with the dichotomy of warm sounding instrumentation in a happy sounding major scale with the cold-sounding plea of lead singer Wes Miles to "Come on, let us in!" I believe it's that very contradiction between sound and word that reminds me (favourably, might I add) of label mates Death Cab For Cutie's We Have The Facts... album.

The band's classical string section moves to the forefront for poetic love letter in song, "Winter '05". Indeed the guitars are completely tacit and replaced by the ever-so-slight ringing of sleigh bells, making the track an obvious pick for this year's batch of Christmas mix tapes. "Dying is Fine" returns to the frantic rhythm section of the album's opener. The real highlight of the song is the interplay between guitar and string instruments which almost require you to stop, close your eyes, and really *listen* to hear when one stops and the other begins. Just marvelous.

"Too Too Too Fast" is another favourite of mine. The strings and synth pads are totally a 80's new wave throwback that sounds like it would be at home on the soundtrack of, well, pretty much any John Hughes film ever made.

The Kate Bush cover, "Suspended in Gaffa" is majestic sounding, and brings validity to the comparisons between Wes and Morissey. If the delivery of the closing line "Can I have it all now?" doesn't scream 'Hatful of Hollow' to you, you might be deaf and should probably consult a physician.

All in all, 'The Rhumb Line' is not for those looking for a genre-bending mind trip oscillating between various styles and pacing; Ra Ra Riot know their sound and confidently stands firmly and unflinchingly entrenched in it. The good news is, that sound is simultaneously fun and beautiful, and is one of the great surprises of 2008.