No, the thick, electric bass, ear-caressing melody, tight guitar work and cello of a song like "Boy" all push the envelope of rock tradition in new and exciting ways. Meanwhile, the silky-smooth violin and blissful, scoping vocals of "Too Dramatic" conjures the kind of high class and high drama that surround champagne flutes and caviar.
Lead singer Wes Miles belts a saccharine falsetto (think Paul Simon) with a versatility that leads the listener through the territory of his romantic purview with unbridled finesse. This, in addition to Ra Ra Riot's pulsing rhythms, warm affect and break-neck dynamics, makes for an experience that is incendiary both on stage and over car speakers.
Mere months after forming on the campus of Syracuse University, Ra Ra Riot's passionate live performances caught critical attention and garnered the band opportunities to open for Art Brut and Tokyo Police Club. In 2007, the band performed at South by Southwest and a year later signed to Barsuk records. Ra Ra Riot released The Rhumb Line in 2008 and The Orchard in 2010.
