It can be hard for a band to tastefully reinvent itself in the middle of an already promising career, seeing as virtually every sub-genre has been all too well-traversed if not beaten past death via retro rehash. Such changes often come across as unnecessary, and unfortunately for Ra Ra Riot, Beta Love is no exception to this trend.
In previous releases, this Syracuse collective was known not only for their compact pop sensibilities but also for their tendency toward the baroque. Comparisons were drawn to Vampire Weekend, but the songwriters of Ra Ra Riot seemed less interested in Afro-pop than simple new wave melodies drenched in churning string arrangements.
However, this LP marks their first release since the departure of cellist Alexandra Lawn, and violinist Rebecca Zeller appears to have been largely written out of the band as well. Beta Love consists of synthpop tunes that feature vocalist Wes Miles above the rest of his band, and it consequently comes across like a botched solo album. Miles’ side project Discovery comes to mind, but without the creative arrangements of production-mate Rostam Batmanglij.
The track “When I Dream” embodies the general weaknesses of the album. The entirety of the song centers on a timeworn three-chord progression, while the writing takes a backseat to production. In an attempt at a dejected slow jam complete with finger snapping, Miles and company sound more like a bored Wham! cover band than anything else.
The album is somewhat redeemed by a few standout tracks. “Wilderness,” for instance, sounds like an imitation of Dirty Projectors, but Ra Ra Riot’s more straightforward style overpowers this pretentious influence for the better. Overall, the band is able to hold the listener’s attention for the duration of Beta Love, but they accomplish this not through quality but by invoking a fascination with the album’s lack of substance.
Contact Erik at [email protected]