Record of the Week: Riki: S/T 12"

Riki: S/T 12” (Dais) I’ll echo Jeff’s comment from when he chose this LP as his staff pick last week: Riki’s debut EP, Hot City, was a cool-sounding record, but their debut LP for Dais is on a different level. With dance floor-ready drum machine rhythms, retro-futuristic synth sounds, and great vocal hooks, Riki’s debut is of a piece with recent releases by bands like Molchat Doma and Fatamorgana (not to mention more established groups like Boy Harsher and Adult.), and if you’re a fan of those bands (as I am!) you’ll love songs like “Strohmann” and “Earth Song,” the latter of which reminds me of my favorite Siouxsie and the Banshees records, particularly Juju and Tinderbox. While an LP full of great darkwave tracks like this would be more than enough to warrant my attention, Riki distinguishes themselves with their poppier tracks. In particular, “Napoleon” and the album highlight “Spirit of Love” are so tightly constructed and beautifully performed that I want to reach beyond the punk scene for comparisons, as these tracks (the latter in particular) are as well-crafted and memorable as any of Madonna’s 80s hits. I’ve already listened to this album so many times it’s become the soundtrack to my life for the past few weeks. If the world has any sense, I think you’ll see this record spread like wildfire in the coming months.