Wanna-be highbrow hipster-pop

On their self-titled debut EP, Ra Ra Riot sounded like the fun-loving, introspective college kids they were. Nine years later, the band’s 2016 release — Need Your Light — finds them mired in dance-pop purgatory. Ra Ra Riot’s recent work is far more urbane than that of straightforward pop rock acts like Walk The Moon and Young the Giant. Yet, they lack the highbrow references and far-reaching musical creativity of indie rock luminaries, Vampire Weekend.

The latter comparison is especially pertinent as former Vampire Weekend member and producer Rostam Batmanglij produced Need Your Light. Perhaps as a result, the album flits between Vampire Weekend imitations (“Foreign Lovers,” “I Need Your Light”), Hall & Oats knock-offs (“Bouncy Castle”) and booming, but ultimately empty pop anthems (“Water,” “Absolutely”).

Even when Ra Ra Riot closely approximates their influences’ sonic worlds, vocalist Wes Miles’ lyrics drags the album back to banality. Before the booming chorus of “Bad Times,” one of Need Your Light’s few energizing moments, Miles drops a clichéd couplet. “My doctor said everything was bad for my health,” Miles sings, “But when I asked what’s good, she said, ‘You can find out for yourself.’” Need Your Light’s lyrics are inoffensive when they are not cliché; consider, for example, that the album contains the earnestly titled tracks “Bouncy Castle” and “Instant Breakup.”

Ra Ra Riot only creates interesting tracks when they opt for a simple retro sound. On “Bouncy Castle” and “Suckers,” the band uses their synthesizers to detail, rather than slather, the songs. Additionally, a less-is-more approach allows bassist Mathieu Santos funk-friendly stylings and Rebecca Zeller’s sharp violin lines to penetrate. Unfortunately, Ra Ra Riot has abandoned their emotional and authentic roots overall to offer up yet another festival-friendly collection of passionless hipster-pop.