When
Ra Ra Riot
released
The Rhumb Line
in 2008, they sounded like a thinking man's pop band: quirky, melodic, and unconventionally chic, with a small string section that lent a sense of sophistication to the band's sound. They wrote straightforward songs and performed them with complex arrangements, each member limiting his or her own parts to allow room for the cello, violin, and guitar lines to breathe. On their sophomore effort, the musicians dive a little deeper into intellectual territory.
The Orchard
is like
without the poppy emphasis; it's brainy and classy, and it asks its audience to put on their own thinking caps instead of their dancing shoes. Individually speaking, the bandmates all sound stronger this time around. Bassist
Mathieu Santos
plays his instrument like he's part of the string section, darting his way up and down the scale while still rooting the chords, and frontman
Wes Miles
sings like an indie choir boy raised on
Morrissey
records. When all the pieces fit together, though, an emphasis is placed on unfamiliar arrangements and moody, introspective song structures, making
an album that targets the head as much as (if not more than) the heart. ~ Andrew Leahey