Hurray for the Riff Raff albums

2024

The Past is Still Alive - 92%

Focus, on the other hand, can sometimes be a saving grace. With her newest record, Alynda Segarra is focusing on more of a country rock sound that sounds very lived in and believable. Consistency wise, it’s definitely an improvement over anything I have heard from her before, some of these songs are among the most accomplished I have ever heard, seriously. "Vetiver" has a real force to it, the vocals nearly exploding out of the microphone. "The World is Dangerous" knows when to pause in a ballad, and uses dynamics superbly. "Ogallala" brings it all home using all the magic of a great singer/songwriter tradition, like the best of Bob Dylan. On a lyrical front, “Colossus of Rhoades” has a similar vibe and is very captivating.

The first three songs are among the catchiest I have heard from her: “Alibi” gliding along like a great country classic, “Hawkmoon” is even better like the kind of music that should be on the radio but its time has past. “Buffalo” is very repetitive and might have worked better as a b-side…but it still has its charm. “Dynamo” is one you don’t want to look past, world-weary songwriting as its best by someone who feels misunderstood but gets her feelings across very well. It is certainly more country-rock then the last album, but no matter what genre it sounds so self-assured that it pretty much all stuns. “Hourglass” is all slow-motion mood; it reminds me of Rickie Lee Jones' Traffic in Paradise (1993), which is a compliment, that album is an underrated classic. Whatever got her here exactly, Hurray for the Riff Raff and her band play it all perfectly and The Past is Still Alive is an instant classic.

Best Songs: Vetiver, Hawkmoon, The World is Dangerous, Ogallala