The temperatures now may be freezing, but you wouldn’t know it listening to Ra Ra Riot, a group that has delivered a third album full of tightly wound synthpop songs that feel as bright and warm as anything out there. It’s not the most brilliant or ambitious effort, but for the most part, Ra Ra Riot accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do, which is to get your foot tapping, your heart rate up and to put a smile on your face.
Beta Love marks the first Ra Ra Riot record since the departure of cellist Alexandra Lawn, and the stylistic shift will be immediately apparent to long-time followers of the group. Gone, for the most part, are the strings of singles such as “Boy” and “Dying is Fine”; in their place are synthesizers and electronic drum chirps. Where sophomore effort The Orchard began with a swirl of cello and violin, Beta Love begins with an almost Wanted-esque vocal and synth intro. The sheer energy Riot puts into its songs, however, remains the same, and if nothing else, Beta Love is the group’s most spastic, fast-paced record yet.
The group’s stylistic changes are apparent in more than just its simple instrument swaps, though the production on this record is metallic and sharp to the extreme. Background parts are sanded down to a mirror sheen, and cut through the mix like a knife. One gets the sense on certain songs that Wes Miles’ vocal parts are the only non-digital element on here, and even these sound slightly affected as they’re pushed to the front of the mix.
This taut production befits the songwriting, which is similarly tightly wound – the majority of songs on Beta Love clock in at less than three minutes, and there isn’t a single four-minute track on here. Hooks come flying at you like bullets, and disappear just as quickly. This can be both a blessing and a curse. On the plus side, garish misfires such as opener “Dance With Me” are over quickly enough to not stain the listening experience too much. On the other hand, the fantastic Minus the Bear-esque jam-out of “That Much,” one of the only times in which the instrumentalists really get to flex their muscle, is over far too soon. Again, the focus here is on Wes Miles’ vocals and tight hooks, and little else.
What this means, then, is that when the hooks work, the songs work. “Binary Mind” is a frenetic burst of energy early on that’s sure to find its place on more than a few fans’ workout mixes. The romantic lounge stylings of “Is It Too Much” are similarly charming. On the other hand, the falsetto clashing of “Beta Love,” the inane lyrics of “Dance With Me” or the silly slow burn of “Wilderness” are truly grating.
In spite of its modern production, some of the best moments on Beta Love are when Riot takes a page out of the past and shows listeners some of its more classic influences. The enjoyable one-two punch of “For Once” and “Angel, Please” recall the brightness of ‘60s pop-rock, to which Miles’ bright tenor voice is fantastically suited. Similarly, closer “I Shut Off,” with its driving bass line, has a delightful ‘80s feel and a driving synth-bass line that sounds taken out of a John Hughes soundtrack.
Beta Love is by no means a great album, or even a truly ambitious one. What it is, however, is a generally solid collection of songs that are exceedingly easy to like, created by a band that doesn’t sound unsure of itself in the least. While the departure of its cellist may have forced Ra Ra Riot to explore a new direction, on Beta Love, the group sounds genuinely excited to do so. And that may be this record’s most admirable quality of all.
