With a large amount of hype surrounding their latest singles “Keep Your Cool, Man” and “Bad Boys Boxing Club”, both of which were followed by such a great reception upon their releases, it’s no surprise that Riley!’s succeeding full-length album is as impressive as it is. To no surprise, the band continues to outdo themselves with every release, as “Keep Your Cool” had garnered consideration for album of the year even before its release. Now, with the record being in the hands and ears of the public, we all understand why.
“777” serves as an introduction to the album with nostalgia-inducing arcade sounds and the repetition of “winner” from a robotic voice, which not only provides a hook for the record but also, coincidentally, suggests the impressive quality of production, lyricism, and every other aspect of the album as a whole that will be rolled out, if the singles didn’t do the job already. The following tracks are “Keep Your Cool, Man” and “Bad Boys Boxing Club”, which get better with every listen.
The track “Kill Yr Boss” is fun in title and song: short and sweet and contains a twinkly riff under a sincere release of angst and frustration yet conveyed through the fun rhyme “see you later, alligator”. “[cries in Spanish]” is a track just as heartfelt as the last, featuring Heccra and the lyric “I’m so used to people feeling this way about fuck up me. How am I feeling this way about you?” This track is, arguably, the most heartfelt due to the variations in vocal delivery from Ryan Bluhm and instrumental talents and techniques of Kris Gallardo, and Cesar “Izzy” Izaguirre.
The tracks “Ego Peek Mid” and “Die Mad” juxtapose the uncensored expression of self-awareness with high-energy melodies and the familiar sound of Midwest emo, with the guitar solo of the latter track. The album’s theme of struggling and reconciliation with the ego and self-awareness of oneself and others is a heavy topic, and Riley! aren’t afraid to bear it all within their lyrics. Following high-energy tracks and vocals, the band, to an extent, mellows out as the album concludes. “Eat Your Heart Out” begins the transition with the help of featured vocalist Sam Wegrzynski of Ben Quad and his calm delivery. “God Is…” is a final burst of energy before “Talk It Out” concludes the record with an acoustic outro. Similarly with any given artist, though some more than others, Riley! has never been one to shy away from vulnerability or authenticity. Their straightforward lyrics are admirable, yet they evoke more emotion than most figurative language could accomplish. With this record, the band continues to juxtapose simple language, including every f-bomb, with incredible musical talents from the trio, which is highly recommended to witness live at the next opportunity. “Keep Your Cool” is the band’s first full-length album since signing to Counter Intuitive Records, and is set to take the band even further down their path to success.
The band recently finished headlining across the United States with summerbruise and ended the run with an opening slot for Hot Mulligan in Indiana. With no signs of slowing down, the band recently announced their newest tour, where they’ll be opening up for Prince Daddy & the Hyena alongside bands Saturdays at Your Place and Carpool. It’s looking to be a Riley! Summer and everyone is welcome.
