RA RA RIOT || The Orchard

Ra Ra Riot
The Orchard
Label: Barsuk Records
Released on: August 24, 2010
Grade: 2.5 out of 5 meatballs
Reviewed by: Alyssa Meza

Ra Ra Riot’s sophomore album, The Orchard, is still very much a Ra Ra Riot album.  Wes Miles’ vocals are as clear, crisp and gentle as ever.  There are soft and soothing string arrangements from cellist Alexandra Lawn and violinist Rebecca Zeller. And there are still some infectious catchy pop hooks here and there.  Yet the band seems a little lost in the heavy orchestral arrangements, which weigh down the breezy chamber pop they became famous for.

Expectations were high after their warm and energetic debut album, The Rhumb Line, in 2008.  But The Orchard misses that warmth and energy, and instead seems buttoned-up, like on the opener "The Orchard," at least on the first half of the album.  The arrangements here are more precise than on their previous work, which I suspect will determine whether you like this album or not.  In that way this album could prove dichotomous.  Either you praise Ra Ra Riot for moving towards a more precise, orchestral sound.   Or you wish they would hark back to their roots of light and swelling chamber pop and are attracted to the second half of the album.

For me the album gets going more than halfway though at the seventh track, “Shadowcasting,” which is spacious and full at the same time.  The strings are light and don’t overpower here, coming out right under the guitar just at the right moments.  This is also the reason the single “Boy,” which is actually the second track, works so well.  The song is propelled by a strong bass and drum line, while the classical bits float in effortlessly.

Ra Ra Riot "Too Dramatic" (Preview) from Barsuk Records on Vimeo.

As with everything, it is difficult to not get bogged down in the details.  This album is still a good and enjoyable listen, made even more impressive by the struggles the band has faced the last couple of years.  Yet, the same logic could have been applied to the production of the album.  Less detail and forced arrangements could have resulted in a more fluid album that works as a whole.