Orchard

When Ra Ra Riot released The Rhumb Line in 2008, they sounded like a thinking man's pop band: quirky, melodic, and unconventionally chic, with a small string section that lent a sense of sophistication to the band's sound. They wrote straightforward songs and performed them with complex arrangements, each member limiting his or her own parts to allow room for the cello, violin, and guitar lines to breathe. On their sophomore effort, the musicians dive a little deeper into intellectual territory. The Orchard is like The Rhumb Line without the poppy emphasis; it's brainy and classy, and it asks its audience to put on their own thinking caps instead of their dancing shoes. Individually speaking, the bandmates all sound stronger this time around. Bassist Mathieu Santos plays his instrument like he's part of the string section, darting his way up and down the scale while still rooting the chords, and frontman Wes Miles sings like an indie choir boy raised on Morrissey records. When all the pieces fit together, though, an emphasis is placed on unfamiliar arrangements and moody, introspective song structures, making The Orchard an album that targets the head as much as (if not more than) the heart. ~ Andrew Leahey