The Rhumb Line (2008)

FIGHT FOR YOUR RIOTS The premiere album The Rhumb Line from Ra Ra Riot rocks

Ra Ra Riot's debut album The Rhumb Line charges out of the gate with ''Ghost Under Rocks,'' a bass-and-cello-driven outburst whose urgency recalls Unforgettable Fire-era U2. Two tracks later, ''St. Peter's Day Festival'' proves them equally adept at sighing balladry. Founding member and drummer John Pike co-wrote both of those tunes, along with three others. His accidental death before the disc's recording gives them all a distinctly bittersweet tinge. But the upstate New York quintet's assured performances act as a suitable memorial. A-
DOWNLOAD THIS: Listen to ''Ghost Under Rocks'' on the band's MySpace page