New Album Review: Hurray For the Riff Raff- Here On Earth

Hurray For the Riff Raff- Here On Earth

Label: Nonesuch

Producer: Brad Cook

On “Wolves”, the opening cut to Hurray For the Riff Raff’s anticipated follow-up to 2017’s acclaimed The Navigator, lead vocalist Alynda Segarra continuously and ominously ruminates that “It’s not safe at home anymore”. In that simple line, she pretty much sums up how the past five years have often left the human soul feeling, regardless of which corner of the globe one may occupy. Life on Earth never shies away from those troublesome social tensions; it’s as bitterly frank and brutally honest as any of their previous records. But there’s an underlying sense of doubt, mystery, and helplessness floating on the surface that only makes it all the more relatable to a modern-day listener, and that aura is further emphasized by an increasing presence of electronica and alternative soundscapes residing alongside the group’s standard rock and roots influenced production choices. It only adds to the ethereal cloud of luminous mystery that steams from every lyric emoted from Segarra’s raw, cutting vocals. The trifecta of tracks including “Pierced Arrows”, “Pointed at the Sun”, and lead single “Rhododendron” are among her most guttural performances to date; but no track cuts quite as fiercely as the hip-hop leaning “Precious Cargo”, a harrowing immigration battle cry that immediately stakes its claim in the storied canon of classic folk protest songs.

Track Listing:

1. “Wolves” (Alynda Segarra)
2. “Pierced Arrows” (Segarra)
3. “Pointed at the Sun” (Segarra)
4. “Rhododendron” (Segarra)
5. “Jupiter’s Dance” (Segarra)
6. “Life on Earth” (Segarra)
7. “Nightqueen” featuring Ocean Vuong (Segarra)
8. “Precious Cargo” (Segarra)
9. “Rosemary Tears” (Segarra)
10. “Saga” (Segarra)
11. “Kin” (Segarra)