Take Vampire Weekend, throw some Steve Nicks in there and a little Bright Eyes twang, mix it all up and you get Ra Ra Riot. (By the way Ra Ra Riot, you have a beautiful website) A melodic and soothing mix of pop, folk, and alt that blend together nicely for the most part. Starting off with a quiet, almost lullaby this album transforms into a poppy Vampire Weekend like hit with “Too Dramatic” an awesome song that will surely hit the alt charts soon. Continuing the Sufjan Stevens style in “Massachusetts” sets Ra Ra Riot apart from it’s poppy brethren. The lead singers voice is also complimented by a female singer in a few of the songs making the CD feel more varied.

Lyrically it feels to repeat, a little bit. I wanted them to be a little more crafty with their lyrics giving more feeling and meaning to their songs. The journey is like going to Florida. It’s a nice getaway and I enjoyed it a lot. But it wasn’t a private island in the Bahamas. The stories and simplicity feel the same way.

If you like Vampire Weekend you should definitely download “Too Dramatic” you will enjoy the crap out of it and replay it on your walkman for the next three months.

7.3/10

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

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