The Rhumb Line

Ra Ra Riot | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 19, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Barsuk
• ASIN: B001B92EHG
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,484 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #39 in Music > Alternative Rock > Indie & Lo-Fi > Chamber Pop

Editorial Reviews

Review

Last summer, not long after Ra Ra Riot released a promising EP, their drummer, John Ryan Pike, drowned in the ocean after a show in Massachusetts. His death weighs heavily on their excellent full-length debut, much of which he co-wrote. Taking its name from a bar close to Pike's home in Gloucester, Massachusetts, The Rhumb Line abounds with death and water imagery, vividly evoking loss in a seaside town. But if the music is funereal, it's also triumphant: Ra Ra Riot combine Arcade Fire's orchestral reveries with Vampire Weekend's pop sensibility for an album that's both effervescent and heartbreaking. ''Ghost Under Rocks'' starts as a mournful cello reverie, then boils over into a punchy industrial groove with stuttering drums. ''St. Peter's Day Festival'' banks on jumpy dub rhythms as Wesley Miles sings, ''If I go to Gloucester, I will wait there for you.'' ''Can You Tell'' folds organs and explosive strings into a Sixties girl-group beat. (Vampire Weekend keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij co-wrote an earlier version of the song.) Even the macabre ''Dying Is Fine'' sounds optimistic when Miles coos a few lines from an E.E. Cummings poem over a power-pop melody: ''Dying is fine/But maybe I wouldn't like death . . . even if death were good.'' Part of what makes The Rhumb Line so engaging is that it's ultimately life-affirming: It's not only a requiem for a lost friend, it's a tribute to the ones who stuck around through the worst times. As Miles sings on ''Oh, La,'' ''We've got a lot to learn from each other/We've got to stick together.'' By the album's end, he's declaring, ''I've discovered all I've got to do'' - a simple but compelling reason for moving on. --Rolling Stone

After a tragic loss, New York whiz kids cook up winning set of triumphant chamber pop.

In his fourth year of college, Milo Bonacci had a tough choice to make: He could continue as the guitarist of Gym Class Heroes (which he formed with his childhood friend Travis McCoy), who were on the verge of a major-label contract, or he could head to Florence to study Italian architecture. In the end, Bonacci chose Romanesque basilicas over one-night stands with groupies. ''I left knowing things were going to take off with Gym Class Heroes,'' says Bonacci, who hasn't stayed in touch with McCoy. ''But I needed to finish what I was doing.''

These days, Bonacci is beginning his musical second act with a band that sounds nothing like Gym Class Heroes' emo rap. He's the guitarist of Ra Ra Riot, five clean-cut collegiate brainiacs (ranging in age from 22 to 25) who have created one of the best indie-rock debuts of the year. After returning to the States, Bonacci teamed up with a crew of his Syracuse University pals in 2006 who shared similarly nerdy academic pursuits. Bassist Mathieu Santos studied painting, violinist Rebecca Zeller and cellist Alexandra Lawn are classical-trained musicians, and singer Wesley Miles majored in physics. You can hear the tuition money at work on The Rhumb Line, 10 chamber-pop gems that quote poet E.E. Cummings (''Dying Is Fine'') and feature sophisticated string arrangements. Another highlight: a circus-punk cover of Kate Bush's ''Suspended in Gaffa.''

On a summer night at Zeller's Brooklyn apartment, the group celebrates the release of its record with a bottle of Chianti and Bonacci's homemade spaghetti marinara. The band's rise in a short time, it has signed to Death Cab for Cutie's original label, Barsuk, and played shows with Vampire Weekend is bittersweet. Ra Ra Riot's original drummer, John Pike, was found dead, floating in the ocean near Fairhaven, Massachusetts, in June 2007. (Police are still investigating the circumstances of his death.) ''It's surreal,'' says Bonacci of the loss. ''We are all still dealing with it and think about it every day.''

But the death has brought the band members closer: They only decided to keep going after getting the blessing from Pike's relatives. ''There's a real family tie here,'' says Zeller. ''We're completely collaborative,'' adds Miles. Everyone nods in agreement. In fact, the group is so in sync that even the smallest arguments upset its equilibrium. ''Instead of fighting, we just sort of become introverted,'' says Bonacci. ''But we don't need to talk about that. We're eating dinner.''


FOR FANS OF Death Cab for Cutie, Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, Talking Heads --Artists to Watch - Rolling Stone

Product Description

Following a trying summer during which the band dealt with the death of drummer and founding member John Pike, Ra Ra Riot regrouped and recorded this debut full-length, which features nine originals and the best Kate Bush cover ("Suspended In Gaffa") you've ever heard. Their earlier self-titled EP and dark-edged joyfulness onstage garnered acclaim from the likes of Rolling Stone, Nylon, NPR, and NME. They've toured with Tokyo Police Club and Editors and will headline their own tour in support of this release.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Holy, violins, batman. August 19, 2008

By Kevin Satterwhite VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

It's a shame. Ra Ra Riot is likely to remain in the shadow of Vampire Weekend because they released their debut full length second. There are similarities with Ra Ra Riot and Vampire Weekend and most of it stems from both lead singers sounding identical. The shame from that is that Ra Ra Riot is so much better than the comparable Vampire Weekend. Their production is more sound. Their songwriting is deeper and more meaningful. Their execution is flawless. Their album is more consistent and cohesive. Regardless, for those who take notice of this wonderful band and their debut LP, "The Rhumb Line," will no doubt benefit from their clement symphonies.

The album starts of proper with "Ghosts Under Rocks." This is my personal favorite song of the album from all the "oooohs", the frantic guitar strumming and the melancholy violins. The vocals are enchanting and the drumming is not slighted. "Dying Is Fine" shows everyone Ra Ra Riots obvious post-punk scene influence which is native to their hometown state, New York. A sound similar to The Strokes, albeit much more diverse and subsequently more interesting. On "Oh, La" there are more pounding drums and melancholy violins which take possession of the listeners free will and paralyze any attempt to divert attention from its beauty.

If I've mentioned violins and drums in one song then I've mentioned the essence of all the songs from this album. Every song is latent with violins, guitars, wonderful drums, sometimes with cellos and sometimes with obos. Don't dare let that repetitious proclamation deter you. This album never tires from beginning to end. Every song is a good listen and it's fairly easy to find some songs that stand out greater than others.... This album definitely stands out more than others in this wonderful year of indie music. Read more ›

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect debut August 21, 2008

By Matt Shiv

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've been following this young band from Syracuse since their initial demo EP. Two years of endless touring have helped to fine tune their catalog of songs into genuine gems. Even tracks that previously surfaced on their self-titled EP like "Can You Tell" have been transformed here with stronger arrangements and an added emphasis on backing vocals from string player Alexandra Lawn (who compliments the lead vocals by Wes Miles perfectly on several cuts).

Ra Ra Riot have had some extreme ups and downs over the past few years, but every experience, good and bad, has given depth to their musicianship and helped to inform the spirit of this incredible debut. It's an impressive collection of songs and I look forward to following them for many years to come.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Rhumb Line August 21, 2008

By Andrew Vice

Format:Audio CD

On Ra Ra Riot's debut album, "The Rhumb Line," the band plumbs the depths of indie music's oldest and newest influences. The record sounds something like a mix of Vampire Weekend and The Cure with some of the rock-oriented production values of Wolf Parade. As the other reviewer stated, the album will likely be stuck under the shadow of Vampire Weekend's successful debut self-titled LP, simply due to the fact that it came out first, and indie music fans are often the first to cry copy-cat. However, "The Rhumb Line" is a varied and engaging listen, and though the similarities are certainly there between Ra Ra Riot and Vampire Weekend, calling this a mere clone would not do the band justice.

The first track opens with some of that Wolf Parade flair mentioned at the beginning of this review, but quickly opens into a sweeping arrangement of strings, building tension as the drums create a frantic, harried pace. The second track apes a very specific Cure sound in the guitar tone, but lyrically and stylistically, the song is unique and fun, finding a good blend of symphonic pop and new-wave swagger. The album addresses the typical moods of a love-lorn indie frontman, and so while the lyrics may have little new to say on the subject, they don't detract from the music or the album as a whole.

All in all, it's a record of lovely, heartfelt pop, and there's nothing wrong with that.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Ra Ra Riotous! September 2, 2008

By Andrew DB Joslyn

Format:Audio CD

It has been an interesting phenomenon to see the emergence of the popularity of alternative instruments in the typical rock band format - not just as a novelty act, and mere ear candy like you get in studio albums and such - but alternative instruments becoming solid members of the band. For example, with groups like Arcade Fire, DeVotchka, Matt Pond PA, and the Decemberists, instruments like harps, violins, cellos, accordions, etc. are helping to expand on the archetypal rock sound.

A group out of Syracuse, NY, and contemporaries of the popular group Vampire Weekend, Ra Ra Riot is the newest Chamber Pop Rock group to hit the mainstream market. The upstate New York Quintet recently released their first full length album 'The Rhumb Line' on August 19, 2008 to a generally welcoming reception. The album is full of nautical and dark themes such as death and water, but never gets too bogged down in depression, and has some light upbeat moments to help balance out the album.

I personally have to admit that I'm a sucker for groups which incorporate strings into their ranks, and as for Ra Ra Riot, the co-ed band has a cellist (Alexandra Lawn) and violinist (Rebecca Zeller). This supplementation adds a darker, more lush layer of sound to the group, which proves to be their secret weapon to their success. The song 'Too Too Too Fast' on the album strangely enough doesn't feature Rebecca or Alexandra playing prominently, and proves to be the dullest, and weakest track on the album. Without the prominence of the strings, the track begins to sound like a poor 80's covers, laden too thick with synthesizers to help cover up the lack of the strings....

One of my personal favorite tracks on the album is the song 'Ghost Under Rocks', which begins with a moody cello and bass line which helps introduce the album. The Chorus embodies the nautical death theme prevalent on the album with the lyrics:

"Here you are you are breathing life into
Ghosts under rocks like notes found
In pocket coats of your fathers
Lost and forgotten
All all all your soaking wet dreams
You've spent them
You have gone and dreamt them
Dry, now you ask your babies why, why, why"

The song was actually on the bands EP which they released before the death of their old drummer John Ryan Pike (who co-wrote a majority of the songs on the Rhumb Line Album.)The eerie thing about this track is that it seems to foreshadow the recent tragic death of John Ryan Pike who was found drowned early last summer after a show in Providence, Rhode Island. Even after the death of a founding member of the group, Ra Ra Riot soldiered on.

Other tracks such as "Each Year" (with images of cemetery flowers) 'Winter 05,' and 'Dying is Fine' continue the darker motifs of the album. Dying is Fine, (the first single promoted for the album), pulls some of its lyrics from the e.e.cummings poem by the same name - and even though it appears macabre, it never falls too much into darker pessimism, and remains pretty optisimistic with the strings being upbeat and the lead singer Wes Miles vocals gently singing the lyrics.

Winter 05' written by the groups new lead vocalist Wes Miles is regal and has a tinge of 'Eleanor Rigby' in it as the violin and cello compose a wonderful baroque melody. Once again, the music helps disguise the darker meaning of the lyrics:

'If you were here/Winter wouldn't pass quite so slow/And if you were here/Then i'd have a choice to live not be alone/But instead I sit atop the crest/Looking down on the valley where the dead rest/And every morning I wake beside myself'

The lighter tracks on the album, like 'Can you Tell','St. Peter's Day Festival', 'Oh, La', 'Suspended in Gaffa' (Kate Bush cover) are a nice change of pace from the deeper songs of the album. The song St. Peter's Day Festival has a similar drive and beat like Vampire Weekend's M79, and this proves to be one of the shortcomings of Ra Ra Riot- they are too overshadowed by Vampire Weekend's previous success, and their lead singer Wes Miles, sounds way too much like Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend.

To sum up- Ra Ra Riots album is a nice little gem of chamber pop melodies - their supplementation of the strings in their arrangements helps set the band apart from other Indie Rock groups. Song wise, the album never becomes too dark or too bright and poppy to make it feel unbalanced - however I would be worried about this group becoming too 80's synthesizer, discotheque driven like their tracks (Too Too Too Fast, and 'Can You Tell' {Epochs Remix}) in future albums they put out.

~Andrew Joslyn
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