If you’re looking for the acoustic-led, maximalist indie-pop that was all the rage in the mid ’00s, look no further than Koria Kitten Riot. The Helsinki-based quintet, fronted by songwriter Antti Reikko, have just released their third album, Rich Men Poor Men Good Men.
This album is an excellent example of giddy, instrument-stuffed indie pop that’s not always easy to find on the radio. The songs are reminiscent of Annuals, Decemberists, or Grandaddy, but with a more whimsical touch to the arrangements and a bit of a twee edge to the vocals.
It’s a very pleasant album and it makes me smile whenever I listen to it, either individually or as an entire collection. The band have a nice knack for writing heart-warming melodies that are perfect for putting you in a sunny mood, or taking you away from the everyday.
Reikko’s lyrics are also well-written, and he uses his experience as a film maker to deliver a prodigious amount of dramatic structure into the songs. He also regularly dissects the song’s character and feel via his band’s Facebook page, allowing the music to become part of the experience for the listener.
Reikko’s influences range from Elliott Smith, Neil Young, Sufjan Stevens, Bright Eyes, Nick Drake, Jon Auer, Damien Rice, and The Flaming Lips, among many others. He also contributes a lot of his own instrumentation to the songs, including acoustic guitar, mandolin, glockenspiel, and harmonica.