Koria Kitten Riot are a Finnish band made up of Antti Reikko (vocals/guitar), Lasse Toimi (guitar), Teemu Vanska (bass) and Olli Rahkonen (drums). Their music is reminiscent of bands like Bright Eyes, The Flaming Lips and Wilco.
The band have been around since 2012 and have been playing live throughout Finland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, France, UK and the USA. They have released two albums to date and have been signed to the German label VILD Recordings.
They have a strong reputation for their acoustic guitar driven pop songs, with an underlying melodic inflected Americana. They’re a band to watch, their latest album ‘Songs of Hope and Science’ is out on 27th January via VILD Recordings.
‘Songs of Hope and Science’ offers us a collection of well crafted and intimate pop songs that bring together ambitious instrumentation in a way that reminds me of Bright Eyes. The lyrics are beautifully written, and the band’s vocals and harmonies are a delight to listen to.
The album is an uplifting and positive record, which is no surprise when you consider the themes and ideas of hope, ‘lie just around the corner’. It is a very personal record, for the members of the band as well as the wider world and their songs are full of gentle, thoughtfully crafted songwriting.
I’ve enjoyed their previous albums ‘The Lows and The Highs’ and ‘Rich Men Poor Men Good Men’ but ‘Songs of Hope and Science’ represents something very special for me and the band. The album is a very honest and heartfelt recording that reflects on the band’s experiences over the last few years. It is a record that highlights the frailties of humanity but also points to a future full of hope and purpose.