The last time we heard from The Rural Alberta Advantage, they were saying sayonara on Departing’s swan song, “Good Night.” I was always unfair in using the band as a placeholder for Neutral Milk Hotel, but when Jeff Magnum and Co. regrouped for a never-ending reunion tour, I honestly didn’t expect RAA to return.
Yet three years later, RAA have abruptly announced their new single, “Terrified.” The track continues in their tradition of saturating songs in nostalgia, and unsurprisingly it sounds eerily similar to their previous work: the drums are fueled by fire, the guitars are harsh, and there’s an awful lot of cathartic yelping.
With its ability to navigate between awe-inspiring beauty and ferocious power, “Terrified” makes for a pretty good homecoming party. So good in fact, that it almost feels like the Toronto trio never left at all.