Album Review: Ra Ra Riot Go “Superbloom” Into Adulthood

You never stop being vulnerable, and, because of that, you never stop having something to say. In perspective, the only way you can become bland and boring is if you have no vulnerability. Hence, Ra Ra Riot’s Superbloom is FULL OF LIFE. It is their most personal record, and the result is a joyous, reflective sound.

From “War & Famine” to “Bad To Worse,” it is not without surprise that Superbloom feels like the group’s most mature and confident record yet. This comes, in part, because it is wise. They appear like a pack of adults trying to accept that happiness does not come from plans or even others. It comes from how you receive your own self, and, through that, the plans that fail/succeed and the people that come/go. Personally, as I get older, I have realized that I have waited for joy to come in the form of perfect relationships and perfectly accomplished dreams. Yet, who, actually, gets those. Still, not getting perfection can be hard when the world is so blatantly flawed, as seen in tracks like, “An Accident,” “Dangerous,” and “Bitter Conversation.”

Ra Ra Riot – Bad To Worse (Lyric Video)

Songs such as, “Endless Pain/ Endless Joy” and “Flowers” feel like the affirmations a loved one would give you, or the positive poster you see pinned to a wall while having a bad day. Even its rhythms prowl and twirl like they are fated to have a higher sense of being, which leads to peace. Meanwhile, lead singer Wes Miles’ voice comes off as raw and radiant. He is the ring-leader of a pack of musicians that have played and grown together for decades and are now deciding to make enlightenments: not songs. The result is an album that does heighten Ra Ra Riot’s sound. Although they have always had a “traveling roads, folkish” feel, this album comes off as dimensional. They are no longer seeking places as much as settling into themselves. #adulthood To Buy Ra Ra Riot’s Superbloom On August 9 Click Here.

Ra Ra Riot – Flowers (Lyric Video)