by Kris Handel
Auratone, the debut LP from NY based quartet Raisalka - a band which consists of members of Baked, Anna Altman, Haybaby, and Rats Mouth - is a release full of swirling guitars, as well as haunting and sweet moments. Isabella Ronayne's vocals trill and often soar above the haze, crunching in astonishing fashion. She shows the clear ability to play off any available emotion with tremendous payoffs. Raisalka run a gamut of styles, most notably mix twisty post-punk and Cocteau Twins-esque sheen with a sharp no-nonsense punk ferocity full of cutting insight and muscle. The band do a marvelous job mixing a bit of early-mid 90's alt-rock/grunge melodicism into their melange, creating a brightness and spirit that jumps out of the speakers to counter some of the woozy atmospheres.
On the dreamier side of Raisalka's ouvre are tracks like "Dreaming" and "First Glance," threading the line between the heft of crunchy shoegaze with a wistful dream-scape pop and darker post-punk leanings. The former does a wonderful job of contrasting whistling synth lines with reverberating guitar swirl accompanied by the harmonious vocal combination of Ronayne and Leslie Hong, while "First Glance" has a simmering intensity that recalls Throwing Muses at their more tender moments. "Crystalline" is probably the most forceful moment on the LP with guitars that chug and spookily wash over the proceedings as Charlotte Kahn's drums rumble and pound at the foundation. The combination of Hong's thudding bass and doomy guitar from Ronayne and Lucia Arias melds seamlessly with vocals that soar and menace simultaneously on a track that conjures up a mix of post-grunge like Veruca Salt and the power of a Bethlehem Steel.
Raisalka are a band of individual talents that coalesce into something with a remarkable intensity and allure on a recording that has a wealth of profundity. There are transcendent moments throughout these songs that are hard to truly put into words, everything here just has a certain flow that is spellbinding. Ronayne's vocals carry a great amount of depth in moments of gentle beauty yet they do not wilt under driving and seething instrumentations. Auratone is an engaging listen in every moment, showing off a tremendous level of musical reach and moments of otherworldly magic.