"Strings help Ra Ra Riot's 'Orchard' blossom" by Give It a Spin

Strings help Ra Ra Riot's 'Orchard' blossom

Blog: Give It a Spin

August 27, 2010

It's easy to point out similarities between musical contemporaries, especially ones who have a history of working together on projects and album production. That's why comparisons between Ra Ra Riot and Vampire Weekend are fairly accurate.

"The Orchard," Ra Ra Riot's sophomore album, takes turns conjuring Vampire Weekend's rhythms ("Massachusettes"), intonation ("Do You Remember"), bass licks ("Too Dramatic") and, well, overall sound ("Kansai"), but rarely is it as daring as Vampire Weekend's own sophomore album, "Contra." Small efforts show through, such as an offbeat guitar pluck in "Keep It Quiet" or breaking out a synth for "Foolish."

Ra Ra Riot distinguishes itself with a chamber orchestra of strings nurturing every track. And where the strings are most prominent, on the record's title track and "Shadowcasting," the band sounds nothing like its New York peers. Even less so when cellist Alexandra Lawn lends her Stevie Nicks-lite vocals to the haunting "You And I Know."

The band was wise in selecting the album's second track, "Boy," as its first single. A satisfyingly spastic bassline carries the tune, making the lack of hook or ups and downs sort of a non-issue.

Ra Ra Riot - "Boy" by barsukrecords

Ra Ra Riot performs on Bumbershoot's Broad Street Stage at 5:45 p.m. Sept. 5. Passes to Bumbershoot are available here.

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freethinker 1 year, 8 months ago

Strings help Ra Ra Riot's 'Orchard' blossom

Took my 2 daughters and their friends (teens and preteens) to see Vampire Weekend last Sunday - who canceled after we all stood waiting for them in the pit for 1 1/2 hours. The experience was a lesson regarding issues such as fan loyalty, forgiveness, dashed hopes and then moving on when things dont happen the way you want..

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