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Ra Ra Riot
It's got to be tough for parents. They send their kids to Syracuse University and what happens? Do the major in business administration or maybe go for a pre-law degree. No, they join a band. Worse still, the band takes the indie route rather than engaging in the blind pursuit of pop success.
Soon after Ra Ra Riot formed in '06 they were performing around Syracuse University building a solid reputation. They played the CMJ Music Marathon in New York before landing a spot opening for Art Brut and touring North America with Tokyo Police Club. They also appeared at the '07 and '08 editions of South By Southwest in Austin. That they managed to survive that drunkfest for two consecutive years is truly impressive. But it turns out nobody is indestructible.
John Ryan Pike, the band's drummer who also contributed song lyrics, was reported missing after a June, '07 show. He had gone to houseboat party in Hamilton, MA, and apparently fallen overboard into Buzzard's Bay. His body was recovered a few days later.
After mourning, Ra Ra Riot issued a statement a few weeks later saying they would continue as a band, which is exactly what they did releasing "The Rhumb Line." The title references a navigational term for a line crossing all meridians at the same angle. It also is the name of a bar near Pike's home. The album contained songs from the group's debut EP that was issued a year earlier.
Ra Ra Riot is not a riot - in fact, they are closer to Arcade Fire but with a stronger pop leaning. The vocals are plaintive and the violin and cello provide a pensive charm that underscores the lyrics. Surprisingly, it's all held together by Santos' playfully energetic bass lines.
But not surpassingly, Pike's presence is felt throughout "The Rhumb Line." He wrote the lyrics to half the songs and others reference him directly ("Dying Is Fine"). This could be a bit maudlin but Ra Ra Riot avoids that pitfall and turns in positive remembrances.
"Can You Tell," a simple song of yearning and how it's "hard to stay cool" was co-written by Vampire Weekend's Rostam Batmanglij and posseses a straight-ahead delivery versus Ra Ra Riot's usual playful approach. "Each Year" shows the group's animated, engaging nature. Maybe it's the synth but "Too Too Too Fast" could have been a demo for some '80's arena pop song. What saves it is an unpolished spontaneity.
One of the unexpected outcomes of the Grunge era was making the cello a legit Rock instrument. Both Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana incorporated a cello ("Disarm" and "Dumb") to supply an emotional depth and texture. Lawn's cello does the same thing. Ra Ra Riot pulls off chamber pop with "Winter '05" and "Run My Mouth." These songs could be dour but Miles' vocals offer hope.