Ra Ra Riot
(Barsuk)
The Syracuse, NY sextet seem to have lost a step or two from their sturdy debut, 2008's The Rhumb Line. While that record proved them to be more than just educated art students (educated art students who could write nice pop songs), The Orchard seems to take a bit of a step backward. Oh sure, it starts off with a bang on the nimble "Boy" and the musical calisthenics of "Too Dramatic" but you also have dull cuts like "Foolish", "You and I Know" which both accentuate that ever-present cello, sometimes to a fault.
Elsewhere, cuts like "Kansai" seem to take cues from their pals in Vampire Weekend while "Massachusetts" nearly dissolves into repetitive beauty (and again, more cello). The band hasn't completely tumbled off the cliff, merely lost its footing a bit. To state it more clearly, The Orchard isn't a bad record; it's just that many were expecting a great one. Luckily they still have youth on their side.
DOWNLOAD: "Boy," "Too Dramatic" TIM HINELY
