Review: Razika

Program 91

by Razika

Impression:  Razika is a girl-group from Norway.  What drove me to listen to this album was the chipper sound of the opening track, "Youth."  I love ska already, but Razika has a lighter sound that reminds me of California -- not the beaches, but the skateparks.  The vocals are beautiful and they remind me a little of the British girl-group The Like, except that the singers have that delightful Northern European lilt -- sort of like Nena (who is from Germany--not quite Northern European but the accent is similar.)  Half the songs were in Norwegian, so they could be singing about blowing random guys behind the Walgreen's and I'd still be bobbing my head along with the music.  Lyrics-wise, the English ones were a little repetitive but I'm chalking that up to the message being lost in translation.  Occasionally, the sound reminds me a little of 1960s girl groups (like "Why Have We to Wait")and I don't think Razika would feel out of place in mini-dresses and go-go boots....as long as they could play they're instruments, of course.  Definitely worth a listen.

Songs I Enjoyed:  I'm loving the summer-y feel of "Above all,"  the beach carnival vibe of "Nytt Pa Nytt," and the acoustic sweetness of "Walk in the Park."

Sounds Like:  Neo ska mixed with girl-driven indie rock

Buy it at:  Amazon