Ra Ra Riot’s Superbloom
Since the mid-2010s, Ra Ra Riot have crafted compelling indie pop in two distinct musical identities: the ‘70s facing chamber pop of their debut The Rhumb Line and its follow up The Orchard, and the ‘80s dance pop revival that characterized Beta Love and the ambitious collaboration with former Vampire Weekend guitarist Rostam Batmanglij Need Your Light. Deftly marrying these two stages of their musical career together, the group’s latest release, Superbloom, is their most successful yet, boasting a radiant collection of colorful arrangements and irresistible pop anthems.
The rambling, yearning “Flowers” is a tasteful introduction to the technicolor tonal patchwork from which Superbloom draws over its 47 minute run time. Fading in with the dreamily modulated mantra “Been a long time I've been thinking about / I've been thinking, I've been dreaming, I've been thinking about,” the song’s breezy melody, lyrical violin lines (provided by violinist and keyboardist Rebecca Zeller) and percussive acoustic guitar conjure a slight pastoral panache that make for Ra Ra Riot’s most organic tunes in years.
The more focused “Bad to Worse,” as has been stated on its feature on one of my Weekly Playlists, is a stone cold killer of a song with a breathtaking anti-chorus that derives its magic from combining equal parts of lead singer and keyboardist Wes Miles’ angelic falsetto with the omnipresent buzzing synth sustain that sits just below every other element in the mix. A fitting single, this song is a melancholy exploration of the feelings of familiarity and alienation with reality, perfect for watching the world pass by through the car window.
As the album continues to build intensity, the stadium-sized chorus on “Belladonna,” and its hyper-contemporary melody, feels like new sonic territory for Ra Ra Riot. While the band has never been allergic to a good pop melody, on Superbloom, they embrace them in a way that communicates total command and comfort. (The title for “Belladonna” was inspired, in part, by the Japanese film Belladonna of Sadness. Once a melody had been written, Miles determined that the name of its titular character fit perfectly in the song’s most critical melodic point).
The dissatisfied post-punk of “Endless Pain/Endless Joy” shifts Superbloom into odd sonic territory, albeit quickly, as it’s listless energy is soon quelled by the declarative and personal “War & Famine.” Miles’ falsetto croon again serving as a mooring force, he leads the way through a valley of atmospheric strings that recall the sophistication of Peter Gabriel’s So.
This valley leads to the album’s undisputed highlight: “Bitter Conversations.” Sporting an even better modulated fade-in than “Flowers ,” this slab of disco soul’s stacked layers of larger-than-life vocal harmonies and synth stabs (and even a solo!) make for the most fun arrangement on the record, bar none.
The record’s second side commences with the whimsically chirpy “This Time of Year,” breaking the dreamy high of Superbloom’s prior side with a pinch of attitude provided by a killer programmed drum tone and groove. “Gimme Time,” and its tip of the cap to the sleek sentimentality of Prince, reveal Miles to be coming into this own as a reasonably charismatic vocalist. “Backroads,” while a little corny, shows continued development on that front as well, showcasing the group’s ability to write a contemporary pop tune as well, if not better, than any of their peers. The arrival of the chorus, and its classic chord progression, usher in a musical state of physical and mental ease. It’s clear the group have reached a similar point, as Miles opines “I don’t know if they’re seein’ what I’m seein’ / But there’s a light up on ahead / It’s not too far.”
That light is sadly not “Dangerous,” a song that’s merely serviceable melody is not enough to save it from being Superbloom’s biggest whiff. One of the biggest successes Ra Ra Riot achieve on this album is the recalling of their influences without succumbing to mimicry. “Dangerous” does not so much veer toward imitation as lose these influences entirely, resulting in the least substantive pop offering in the track list.
Luckily, the gorgeous waves of luscious synth that envelop “An Accident” are a quick remedy. A mournful soundtrack to life’s regrets, Superbloom’s penultimate song is its most introspective, dispelled by the bobbing, new wave (Hi Devo!) tinged “A Check For Daniel.” Taken together, this pairing of songs is perhaps an odd choice to close Superbloom, but, if nothing else, they are a fitting summation of the album’s chromatic and diverse sonic palette.
With age comes wisdom, and hopefully, an even deeper sense of who we are and what we can become. Superbloom is Ra Ra Riot’s most realized artistic work yet along that path; an album with the potential to serve as a Rosetta Stone for the rest of their career. Here’s hoping subsequent catalog entries are just as satisfying.
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If you like Superbloom, check out:
Everything Else Has Gone Wrong by Bombay Bicycle Club
LP by Discovery
Pray for It by July Talk
The Fine Line by Harry Styles
Contra by Vampire Weekend