The Rhumb Line (UK)

Alternative Press - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[A] majestic cover of Kate Bush's 'Suspended In Gaffa' is simply magical, its classical grace channeling DeVotchKa's finest moments." Rolling Stone - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Ra Ra Riot combine Arcade Fire's orchestral reveries with Vampire Weekend's pop sensibility for an album that's both effervescent and heartbreaking." Spin - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he cello-rocking sextet has consistently inserted bubblegum earnestness into Arcade Fire melodrama....This nimble full-length wrings catharsis from pop with no lapses into pretension." Rolling Stone - Ranked #38 in Rolling Stone's 50 Best Albums Of 2008 -- "When life's unfairness doesn't' break a band, it makes for a heart-wrenching album." Rolling Stone (p.84) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Ra Ra Riot combine Arcade Fire's orchestral reveries with Vampire Weekend's pop sensibility for an album that's both effervescent and heartbreaking." Rolling Stone (p.94) - Ranked #38 in Rolling Stone's 50 Best Albums Of 2008 -- "When life's unfairness doesn't' break a band, it makes for a heart-wrenching album." Spin (p.122) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he cello-rocking sextet has consistently inserted bubblegum earnestness into Arcade Fire melodrama....This nimble full-length wrings catharsis from pop with no lapses into pretension." Alternative Press (pp.150-151) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[A] majestic cover of Kate Bush's 'Suspended In Gaffa' is simply magical, its classical grace channeling DeVotchKa's finest moments."

The first album from this band out of Syracuse is a triumph of resilience, as it follows the early departure of their frontman and the even more devastating death of their drummer (and fellow songwriter) in 2007. Playing largely upbeat rock-meets-chamber-pop, kind of like Editors with strings, Ra Ra Riot strikes a remarkable balance between zest for life and bittersweet regret. On "Dying is Fine," singer Wes Miles embraces death but hesitates. You hear the heartbreak in the mournful strings and minor-key moments, and the rebounding embrace of life in vibrant songs like "St. Peter's Day Festival." THE RHUMB LINE, in its depth and emotional variety, sounds like a stalwart band's mid-career watermark, which makes the debut that much more impressive.|

またしてもUSインディー・シーンから素晴らしい作品が登場した。NYを拠点に活動を展開し、ヴァンパイア・ウィークエンドとも仲良しという男女5人組のデビュー・アルバムである。心地良いストリングスの音色とヒリヒリするほどタイトなビート、そして切ないメロディーの融合は〈バースト・ポップなアーケイド・ファイア〉と表現したくなるもの。ケイト・ブッシュのカヴァーも含む大感動の全10曲入り!
bounce (C)馬嶋 亮