Nothing sucks worse than a second record… sometimes.

the other side of the hamptons

“You have your whole life to make your first record and 24 months to make your second”

How do you duplicate the experience and passion you put into your first [hit] album, the record that made you famous, into another commercially popular product that the public will both love again and you will be satisfied with?

Needless to say, this is a difficult process. Creating In Utero likely pushed Cobain over the edge (exception to the rule [mega hit] – but also not true second album). I don’t think Ezra Koenig went through the same angst to push Contra through production, but he didn’t have to worry about continuing to define his own genre.

With this in mind, in the face of huge expectations in the wake of The Rhumb Line, The Orchard doesn’t fall flat on its face. It lacks the powerful, emotional pace of its predecessor, explores new territory, and delivers some quality new tracks. It also maintains Ra Ra’s reputation for delivering music that is extremely tight, technically. It’s slower, more thoughtful, and maybe, like a lot of second albums, will be appreciated more by the fans that truly support the band than album before it.

A few of the choicer singles:

Shadowcasting (Jackson Browne, anyone?)

Do You Remember

You and I Know -> Note cellist Alexandra Lawn’s debut as lead vocals (another good reason to see them live)

Enjoy, and see these guys in concert as soon as possible (Oct 5th at SmartBar would be a good choice)
Duff