Ra Ra Riot seems to have taken a bit of a departure from the style that has made them so popular since their debut in 2008. Known for their foray into the rounded out electro pop genre, with “Beta Love” the group has changed things up by cutting down on strings and delving even further into the electric side of their sound. Whether this was a good move or not is really a matter of personal preference, though I think we can all agree that we have here a distinct variation on the Ra Ra Riot we know and love.
“Beta Love” has to it the “be-doo-pee” kind of sound that is reminiscent of ’80s video games and the revolution of using modern technology to make music. It’s a little like an outer space gamer love song — reflective of the band’s personality. Lead vocalist Wes Miles hits us with some of that falsetto he does so well, tying in nicely with the frantic nature of the chords. It’s definitely music you have to be in the right mindset for. While the album has the potential to be polarizing among Ra Ra Riot fans, overall I am inclined to applaud Ra Ra Riot for stepping out of their comfort zone and changing things up a bit.