The death of close friend and Ra Ra Riots drummer, John Pike, weighs heavily on the 'The Rhumb Line'.

Pike drowned in the sea following a Massachusetts gig back in June 2007. Many musician deaths have been looked upon as rock'n'roll and iconic (think Sid Vicious, Ian Curtis, Brian Jones). Here it is awkwardly obvious that the death of the talented Pike was just too much too soon.

It is a small but inspiring consolation that this New York collective managed to overcome this massive loss to record and produce an LP, more involving than anything else released this year. The album is an elegant and emotional eulogy to their lost friend, beautifully sad and sadly beautiful throughout. Relating to the circumstances of Pikes' passing, vivid water imagery is writ large throughout 'The Rhumb Line' with themes of loss and grief in tow.

The record is also a celebration of Pike's life and the bands triumphant return to music and enjoyment in writing. These emphatic elements are propelled through the orchestral indie drama of 'Dying Is Fine' and 'Oh La'. Lead singer Miles Bonacci exposes refined vocal abilities as he adapts his voice from the solemn darkness of an infallible 'Ghost on the Rocks' to the rousing pop melodies of 'Too Too Too Fast'.

'The Rhumb Line' is an insight into the pain and togetherness of a tightly knit band still very new to music. It is a sapient look on the trials of life, and their live performances amplify its joyful qualities.