Canadian indie rock group Rah Rah released their third studio album, The Poet’s Dead, a sonically sound but lyrically flat endeavor, creating a mixed bag of songs and musical variety throughout the album.
The band, one of Canada’s up-and-coming indie groups, has constructed a set of ten songs of which no two are the same. The band manages to maintain a rock tone throughout the album, yet elements of pop, electronica and folk can be heard, expanding the musical horizon of the band.
In doing so, the band has created a musical smörgåsbord that will both delight and disgust listeners of the band’s newest album.
The single and opener, “Art and a Wife” is far and away the best track. The song is catchy, featuring an electric guitar melody that brings to mind a modernized Creedence Clearwater Revival. Erin Passamore’s beautifully strained vocals contrast with vocalist-guitarist Marshall Burns’, layering the track nicely.
Backed by violins, Kristina Hedlund maintains the same upbeat tempo begun with “Art and a Wife” in “Prairie Girl.” Clever, melodic lyrics are expertly brought to life by Hedlund’s voice as she sings, “I’ll catch a ride/From another friend in sight/And I’m sure that you’ll be fine/For the rest of the night.”
The third track, “First Kiss,” as well as the subsequent track “20s” find themselves overly repetitive, losing listeners with their lyrics rather than engrossing them with the infectious country beat on “First Kiss” or the haunting and ethereal sound on the latter song. In the case of the first song, the phrase “first kiss” is repeated ad nauseum, making listeners plead for any variation.
The track “The Poet’s Dead” falls more in the vein of the single, relying on a garage rock sound and a catchy hook in the form of, “The poetry is in your head/Though the poet’s dead.” Though the song runs the risk of being repetitive like earlier tracks, Rah Rah has created an effective grower with the album’s eponymous track.
Fast-paced and characterized by cymbals and electric guitar, Hedlund returns on “Run,” which finds itself wandering through the rock genre. Her grungy, tensed vocals bring an urgency to the song and it stands as a beautifully befuddling work.
“Fake Love” is without a doubt one of the band’s better attempts on the album, with perfectly apt lyrics like, “I’m just in town for the night/But I’ll get you on the guest list for the show/We’ll get drunk/Fake our love.” Backed by effective and gentle “ooh-ooh-oohs,” Burns demonstrates his vocal capacity and manages to create a rock tune as catchy as “Art and a Wife.”
The album’s closer, “Saint,” tones the record down, creating a somber electro beat under the garage rock sound of the electric guitar. Though a somber approach to the end of the record, “Saint” efficiently and succinctly defines the album: a bit repetitive, but with fantastic instrumental craftsmanship.
Rah Rah, still trying to break into the scene, may see some critical recognition for their standout single “Art and a Wife,” but the rest of the album as a whole will likely be forgettable. This is especially true in the sea of indie rock that the band is competing in and Rah Rah has not created enough of a stand out album with The Poet’s Dead to create any measurable splash.
