Rika

Rika is proof that music is truly the universal language. Separated from the current "emo revival" movement by an entire ocean and a different language, but sounding like they could have just as easily come out of a basement in Kansas or Ohio or anywhere from smack-dab in the Midwest. Instead they hail from Austria, and though they do sing in English, it is not their native tongue. For all purposes intended, Rika were the Austrian equivalent to Mineral. That is, until How to Draw a River, Step by Step came along. The new LP documents the change from influence to identity, where Rika carves out a strong niche of their own. Adding piano and organ to the usual mix of guitar, bass, and drums, they created a haunting beautiful and brooding album that should firmly establish that they are their own band, and they are a band worth listing to.