Richtaste featured at 24 Our Music: Richtaste Pleases the Taste Buds in Self-Titled Album

Richtaste’s self-titled album released in 2011 is purely rich with a unique, Richtaste-esque rock sound. Featuring Stefan Frankhasuer on vocals and guitar, Rafael on guitar, Roger on bass, Marc on drums, and Retro on keyboard, the five-piece indie rock band from Switzerland under Sunset Records combines elements of punk and alternative rock under one enjoyable genre that raises the audience’s energy to dance and pump their fists.

"Party King” is just under three minutes long and kicks the album off with a bang. The song starts off with a guitar riff and after a few measures, the rest of the guitars, bass, and drums kick in. The vocals swiftly sings the first verse and swings right into the chorus which is melodic and memorable. Although it’s a short song, it also does a lot to grip the audience right into Richtaste’s sound and gets them comfortable and hungry for more tracks in the album.

“Postcard from Heaven” is also a fast track and begins with a little more upbeat guitar riff. The keyboard synth that kicks in during the intro plays a minor chord progression that gives the song a mysterious feel to it. After the first set of vocals concludes in the verse, the band then plays an instrumental break consisting of a catchy guitar riff and a drum-beat of a kick, snare, and ride bell. This section is played a few times throughout the song, and is my favourite and most catchiest part of the track. The song also allows the lead singer with a vocal-only part, leaving him the spotlight to drive the emotion and power behind his voice.

The third track, “Speech,” starts off with drum fill and goes right into the vocals. It’s also a short track but also slower in tempo compared to the first two tracks. The song’s chorus has a feel-good vibe to the sound. “Effing July” is the album’s fourth track and is also one of the best tracks. The song starts quietly, consisting of only a bassline and vocals accompanied by the plucking of a clean electric guitar. The song picks right up at the chorus when the distorted guitars and drums pop right out. The chorus is very melodic, catchy, and has the arena-rock sound that allows the audience to get loose, let go, and sing along, shouting at the top of their lungs, “It’s myyyyy effin’ July!” The song also features a driving guitar solo, and cloncludes with a third verse and the chorus played one last time.

“You Can’t Do It Right” is more of a slower song compared to what the audience has heard so far, and makes use of an acoustic guitar and moderately reverbed vocals and drums. The song is a welcoming touch to the album contrasting from the fast-paced tracks the album opened up with, proving to listeners that Richtaste can slow it down, dim the lights, and perform a powerful, emotionally-driven rock song.

“Simple Song” is quite indeed a simple song but has a very catchy beat and ear-catching lyrics and tune, making it a fun song to listen to. “Grounded Angel,” another short two-minute track, picks the pace up with its racing tempo and fueling chorus. “Turning Point” is one of the most powerful and epic tracks in the album, which starts off with a piano riff, and makes heavy use of a chilling pipe organ and a gripping synth that plays the same riff as the piano at the start of the song.

“Fly Away” is a three minute track with motivating lyrics that connects with the audience and really asks them to really pay attention and listen to what the lyrics are telling them. The song is, for the most part, minimal with a strumming guitar and vocals for the verses but the drums and keys kick in for the chorus, as well as a guitar solo in the middle of the song.

The album picks up in pace with “Footsteps,” the tenth track and is driven with a tambourine. “One Way Street” has a slower but more aggressive sound to it, with the guitar riffs, bassline, and drum beat driving the adrenaline levels up for a good cracking showdown. “Sometimes” is the last longest track on the album, totaling at a little over four minutes long. The song makes use of a catchy and driving chorus to close out the album on a very high note.

One impressive aspect of this album is how well it is mixed. The mixing brings the vocals, the guitars, the drums, the bass, and the keyboard synths together and that no instrument or section is overpowering each other out. Everything is leveled perfectly, and as a result the audience is treated with enjoyable music that deserves careful listen-throughs and be left on repeat. In addition, in twelve tracks, Richtaste delivers different sounds throughout the album, mixing up the tempo and style of nearly each track, delivering something new for listeners as they listen through the album for the first time.

Richtaste’s self-titled album delivers a lot that deserves the attention of rock listeners, who will be left with a rich taste in their ears and feelings of pure satisfaction from listening to the album.