Worthy of the hype.
Even though there's a slight melancholy feel to these tracks, 'Each Year' and 'A Manner To Act' on the debut single from much talked about new York based six piece, Ra Ra Riot both have an up-beat melodic edge. The tunes are a mix of classic fuzzy indie-pop topped off with a folk feel which makes everything seem somehow warm and familiar.
This is a very self assured debut. For such a young band they have a very distinctive sound; the instrumentation is inspired: fuzzy guitars, jagged slightly off key strings (violin and cello) and fantastic vocals. They manage an interesting combination of almost twee summeriness, seriously catchy melody and edginess which makes these tunes worth more than a second listen; this is one band that deserve their hype.