Rae and the Ragdolls is a band I came across on Instagram the other night after seeing someone post about them in their story. I’ve been meaning to listen to some newer music lately, as I often find myself sticking to things mostly in the 1960s and 1970s, so I figured this would be a good opportunity to do just that. The band doesn’t have a bunch of information about themselves online, except that they’re from Georgia, and that they are eclectic, and even experimental at times in combining flavors of classic rock and psychedelic rock with their own take. I’m pretty stoked to give this one a listen, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“All I Wanna Do Is Love” starts out with some really flavorful grooving from a fuzzed out electric guitar, which is soon joined by a strong backbeat and some super smooth vocals. Oh wow, I really dig the vocals in this track. The overall feel of the soundscape reminds me of some sort of mixture between Tess Parks and some early 70’s psychedelia-tinged good ole’ rock and roll. Great tune, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the album.
Oh wow, “Sunshine Eyes (She Makes Me Swoon)” hooked me in right away with the flavorful guitar lines at the beginning of the tune, chugging along with a bit of grit that has that sort of bluesy flavor and timbre that reminds me a bit of Jeff Beck’s solo stuff a bit. Oh wow, the vocals have hooked me even further in with the seemingly laid back style. Holy smokes, this guitar solo comes on as though it’s some sort of interstellar signal. Super groovy track.
Oh wow, “Burial Ground Blues” starts out with a nearly primitive beat, with vocals that have a quality that nearly seems like a Gregorian chant fading through the aether. Oh wow, the tune has evolved quite a bit from the beginning, and I’m only digging the sound more and more. Great tune.
Holy smokes, “Jasper” starts out with a style that seems both somewhat eerie and totally far out. It evokes a sort of sound like it’s nearly about the ghost of a cowboy, and I totally dig it. Wow, I’m really enjoying this tune, and sort of got caught up in the music for a moment there. Great track.
Oh wow, “Aisle Tip Toffee” starts hot off of the heels of the previous tune, and almost starts out like it’s a shooting star, and seems to evolve into a tune that exudes an infectious energy that seems to be a bit of 70s hard rock with possibly a bit of punk rock. Super sweet track.
Holy smokes, “In the Sun” changes things up completely from the previous track, and starts out with a flowing acoustic guitar line and some super smooth vocals that introduce a really pleasant folksy flavor to the album, almost reminding me a bit of Roy Harper. Oh wow, this tune is super pleasant; the bass notes have this droning effect that seems to keep the song flowing, while the higher notes on the acoustic guitar seem to have a sound nearly reminiscent of the gently moving waters of a hidden river. Great track.
Oh wow, “Sick” starts out with some super tasty guitar work that nearly has a sinister sound of sorts, almost as though it has you under some trance as you listen to it play. Oh wow, I think I hear some organs in this one, which bring a super groovy swirl to the background. Holy smokes, the guitar solo in this one is nasty, in a super tasty way; I’ve made about six different faces listening to that bluesy style. Great track.
Oh wow, “Desert Song” starts out super serene with some clean electric guitar with a great reverb sound; absolutely digging this tune already. Oh wow, the tremelo guitar (?) is super tasty, and really makes the soundscape feel even more dynamic. Between the instrumentation and the vocals you can nearly imagine the feel of a hot desert breeze. Holy smokes, the guitar solo is awesome. Holy smokes, the guitar solo just got even more awesome as the distortion comes in and seems to take the song to a slow building crescendo. Oh wow, the outro really ties things up nicely as well. Great tune, and a super sweet way to end the album.
Holy smokes, I’m glad I checked out this album. Not often enough do I listen to music that comes out in recent times, I feel, but music like this encourages me to do so more often. There are a ton of great flavors in this album. I don’t necessarily know the band’s influences, but throughout I felt reminded of artists throughout time like Jeff Beck, Black Sabbath, Tess Parks, and Roy Harper, just to name a few. I’m excited to hear more music from Rae and the Ragdolls, hopefully sooner than later. If you dig some psychedelia-tinged rock and roll, with some bluesy flavors throughout, and a ton of range, you might want to check out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A
P.S. Thanks to Mojohand for posting this album on their story