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By Rudy Klapper, August 19, 2010 8:00 am

Ra Ra Riot – The Orchard

Barsuk 2010

Rating: 8/10

I love it when bands surprise me. For someone who thought Ra Ra Riot were like a lesser Vampire Weekend with a string section after 2008’s so-so The Rhumb Line, I was ready to push through The Orchard and let it down gently. Then I listened to it, and lo and behold, a band I had written off ends up backhanding me across the face with one of the better albums I’ve heard all year. Previous fans of the band will no doubt be delighted to hear that singer Wes Miles still sounds like Ezra Koenig, if a little more prone to falsetto, and that the band’s bouncy brand of pop-rock is still very much in evidence (just check out that ADD bass line on uber-catchy single “Boy”). But whereas The Rhumb Line was all meaty melodies and festival-ready sing-a-longs, The Orchard feels like a proper album of baroque pop – the songwriting is noticeably stronger, the band takes their time around the tunes rather than jumping headfirst into hooks, and the lovely strings of violinist Rebecca Zeller and cellist Alexandra Lawn seem far more integrated into the affairs here rather than the gimmick they at times appeared to be on their debut.

It’s a record that knows that the best way to start an album is not a rookie move like throwing out your best song or first single, but to kick things off with a track that announces a new, determined direction instead. “The Orchard” is just that song, floating along ominous string chords and a pensive bass line without a hint of drums or guitar. The focus is purely on Miles, who sounds like a markedly more assured vocalist throughout the record and never as clearly as he does on “The Orchard.” The strings at the forefront is something repeated throughout the album, from the way they add a melancholy note to the otherwise upbeat “Boy” to the way they arch and dip across melodies, putting their indelible stamp on songs like “Do You Remember” and “Kansai.” The fact that Zeller and Lawn are the centerpiece of songs rather than a touch of color here or a flourish there makes The Orchard everything The Rhumb Line hinted at but never accomplished: the sound of a complete and full band, utilizing an array of sound and talents in a more organic way than many of their peers.

Not to say that the rest of the band suffers in comparison. Drummer Gabriel Duquette is the unsung hero here, laying down a number of intricate beats that always propel things forward but never overwhelm. Like the National’s Bryan Devendorf or Bloc Party’s Matt Tong, Duquette has some impressive chops (check out his subtle work on “Massachusetts”), but uses them more to build a rigid rhythmic framework than show off. Everyone contributes, whether it’s consistently fantastic rhythm work, airtight melodies and subtler hooks, or Miles letting Lawn on the mic for the excellently Fleetwood Mac-ish “You And I Know.” There are a few missteps; seriously cheesy synths midway through “Foolish” mar some perfectly good dream-pop, and the sluggish “Keep It Quiet” ends the album with a whimper rather than a bang. But perhaps that’s to be expected – The Orchard is nothing if not a sharp left turn from the cheery, thumping pop of their debut, and ending it on its most plaintive note is sort of fitting. It’s also everything I wanted from a sophomore effort: sophisticated, confident, surprisingly layered, and endlessly entertaining. It’s always exciting when a band seems to get it and come into their own as a group – with The Orchard, Ra Ra Riot have finally created a distinctive identity all their own.

Ra Ra Riot – “You and I Know”

See larger image The Orchard (Audio CD) List Price: $13.99 USD New From: $7.99 In Stock Used from: $4.50 In Stock Release date August 24, 2010.

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By Rudy Klapper, August 17, 2010 8:00 am

I didn’t even know Ra Ra Riot were releasing a new album until last week, but The Orchard, which drops next Tuesday, has pretty much all I’ve been listening to the past week. It’s a more cerebral affair than their Vampire Weekend-esque debut, pushing those fine ladies rocking the strings to the front of the mix and generally making some pretty well-crafted, thought-out tunes. “Boy” was released online a couple of weeks ago and is a pretty fantastic, upbeat single, but “Kansai” is a more apt indicator of what the band was going for. Of course, both are awesome.

“Boy”

“Kansai”

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By Rudy Klapper, July 14, 2009 12:00 pm

Discovery – LP

Beggars XL 2009

Rating: 3/10

Hipster darlings and fellow New Yorkers Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot have made their names performing brainy, worldly rock music that, for all its calculated charm and schoolboy shtick, never came off as overly arty, or, worse, pretentious. Honest, thoughtful, impeccably catchy – many an overwrought blogger has written more than I need to relate here. Just don’t try applying anything you’ve learned from those records to their newest bastard child, Discovery.

Featuring Wes Miles and Rostam Batmanglij, from Ra Ra Riot and Vampire Weekend, respectively, Discovery and its debut release LP is a vanity side project of the highest degree. A “fun-loving” record that embraces the cheesier aspects of modern pop music, it’s hard to tell whether Batmanglij and Miles are being ironic or painfully earnest. Not to say modern pop is inherently rotten; rather, it’s the duo’s uninspired production, lackluster songwriting, and persistently annoying use of Auto-Tune that condemn LP to the “what-were-they-thinking?!” realm.

It all starts off rather promisingly with “Orange Shirt,” a sparse R&B drumbeat and streaks of neon-colored synths framing some Vampire Weekend-esque vocals. “Osaka Loop Line” is even better, an engaging, down-tempo piece that builds off one of the record’s better hooks into a sublimely pleasing chorus. Unfortunately, around the 2:46 mark a meandering breakdown inexplicably turns into the equivalent of an electronica trash compactor. Take the original Super Mario Bros. soundtrack, toss it into a blender, and then gargle the results and you have what the backing track sounds like by the song’s conclusion.

Indeed, as the album continues, it’s the duo’s ill-advised production choices that continually turn agreeable synth-pop into ego-fueled sludge. “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” features an absurdly annoying guest vocal by Dirty Projectors’ Angel Deradoorian that reminded me of children playing with the pitch control on their Casios, while one might be forgiven for thinking that “Swing Tree” was actually recorded with toy synthesizers. Then again, no amount of cheaply-recorded bloops and bleeps can redeem run-of-the-mill lyrics like “when I saw you at the discothèque / send my vibe out to you” or “it’s hard to stay cool / when you smile at me.”

The welcome arrival of Ezra Koenig on vocals makes the thumping fuzz of “Carby” a highlight, but the good tunes on LP are few and far between. By the time you’ve reached the Auto-Tuned-to-death deconstruction of the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back,” it’s difficult to tell whether this is all an elaborate joke by Miles and Batmanglij. Taking a stab at pop music is all well and good, but when you half-ass the production and make songs about as aesthetically interesting as a pastel paint-by-numbers, don’t expect to be taken seriously.

Perhaps LP is really an ingenious satire on the state of mainstream pop music. Perhaps the dudes from Vampire Weekend and Ra Ra Riot are secretly having a laugh at the expense of Top 40 America. Then again, maybe Discovery is just what happens when people get a taste of success and decide to unload all the products of their misspent youth on a public that doesn’t know better. Not cool, guys. Not cool at all.