bones
Indie alt rock legend Rainbow Kitten Surprise has returned with their fifth full-length studio album. bones’ 10 airy, cinematic tracks are reminsiscent of the classic alt rock sound that we all miss. With highlights like 100 Summers and Dang, the energy in bones is high yet controlled. I was rather dissapointed to see Espionage was not included in the track list - a song I found to be a fantastic single. Likewise, like many, I was not impressed lyrically by the record. While it made an attempt at being introspective, it lacked depth and over-used repetitions, adlibs, etc.
Overall, bones kept the band true to their original sound, making the record both sonically coherent and reflective of their older, original sound, much to the delight of OG fans - many of which were displeased with their former 2024 Love Hate Music Box. While not an awful record, it is true that the 2024 album strayed from the classic sound they developed in Seven + Mary (2013), RKS (2015), and How to: Friend, Love, Freefall (2018). On Love Hate Music Box, they experimented with everything from acid elements to slow, moody melodies to a different, deeper singing style for lead Ela Melo. While it is true that the album was not stylistically suited to the group, credit must also be given where credit is due. RKS has been putting out albums for over a decade now. It is only natural that they will play around with their style, if not eventually transform it. It is to be expected that the band will change, But bones has restored the band to it’s default settings… perhaps… to a fault?
In a way, bones feels like a too-perfect regression to the group’s earlier work. It fits seamlessly to the catchy rock they were putting out in the early 2010’s - maybe with a bit more of a pop twist. In this sense, its almost a little worrying how they haven’t been able to advance their sound. Are they only able to produce at a certain level within this style or abandon their sound entirely? I was looking for an upgraded, innovative twist on their established sound, but no I was met with no such surprise. I wish I could say their production, at least, has improved, but even this has remained stagnant - if not even weakened at some points. bones replicated their sound, like fans asked for, but it did not deliver the band to any new heights.
While a truly decent record, bones confirmed a fear I have had for a while: RKS may never summit the peaks they created on their 2010’s debut, sophomore, and third albums. The originality and sonic/emotional drama of tracks like First Class, Seven, When It Lands, Fever Pitch, and Cocaine Jesus is what made them pillars of alt rock, but also what will make Rainbow Kitten Surprise’s job of surprising us (no pun intended) a whole lot harder, overall making bones struggle to be a memorable album.
