Although
Ra Ra Riot began generating a buzz in New York City at the same time as
Vampire Weekend, their ascent from Manhattan's underground to a major label's roster wasn't nearly as quick. Drummer
John Pike died in June 2007, putting a temporary halt to
Riot's momentum, and the band's long-awaited debut didn't receive the same rush-release treatment awarded to other hipster hitmakers.
The Rhumb Line arrives eight months after
Vampire Weekend's debut, but the delay actually serves the band well, since it distances them from the hype and resulting backlash that saturated
Vampire Weekend's emergence. The bandmates pay homage to
Pike in the liner notes (the album is dedicated to the late drummer, who also receives credit for his songwriting and lyric contributions), yet the true tribute rests in
Ra Ra Riot's music, which sounds far more polished and focused than 2007's self-titled EP.
Perhaps most noticeable are the performances by cellist
Alexandra Lawn and violinist
Rebecca Zeller, who alternate between short, focused bowstrokes and legato-style lines. Indie rock isn't a typical home for string sections, but
Zeller and
Lawn integrate themselves well during songs like
"Can You Tell" and
"Winter '05," two elegant numbers that revolve around the girls' contributions. Frontman
Wes Miles sings those songs with sweet vibrato and a hint of an English accent, sounding like the sort of polite rock star you'd like to bring home to Mom, and guitarist
Milo Bonacci deserves kudos for playing sparse, tasteful riffs that leave enough empty space for the other bandmates. Whether they're channeling the '80s on
"Too Too Too Fast," mixing indie pop with lyrics lifted from an
e.e. cummings poem on
"Dying Is Fine," or covering
Kate Bush's
"Suspended in Gaffa," Ra Ra Riot sound elated to have finally arrived at this point: the release of their debut, the payoff after a very tough year, and the proof that they're one of 2008's most promising newcomers. ~ Andrew Leahey
![Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness [Clean]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/5099997855323_p0_v3_s90x140.jpg "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness [Clean]")
