Eclectic hippie roots/rock freaks Rae and the Ragdolls is one of those pleasant surprises that just happened to fall in my lap. Generally, Instagram ads annoy the living shit out of me, but when I saw the photo of Rae and the Ragdolls, I knew I had to check this out. Their bohemian, neo-hippie image was enough to send me over to give them a listen and low and behold, I fucking loved them, but were they going to be consistently good?
I nervously pulled up their 2023 album Sunshine in a Shadow, Vol. II and braced myself. The kick-off song “Is This It?” found me sitting back in my chair and nodding with that “white boy overbite” thing. The solid groove of the rhythm section, the funky, easy-on-the-ear guitar, and the smoky, woodsy vocals of lead vocalist Natasha Rae Wermers put me at ease and gave me faith that what lay ahead was going to be pretty rad.
To say that Sunshine in a Shadow, Vol. II is an eclectic mix of Rock N’ Roll is a terrible understatement. The southern psych blues rock of “Is This It?” and “Cherry Trees” made me feel right at home, while “House of Mirrors” had Rae and the Ragdolls putting off a skank/punk rock vibe which had all of the attitude of Deborah Harry. Nevertheless, this song surprisingly worked and showed just another side of this unpredictable group and the versatility they are capable of.
“Tip the Mystic” reminds me of good ol’ fashioned ’60s Brit pop with its fun, shuffle groove. Listening to this song made me feel like I was on a cosmic walk but being weary of running into Natasha Rae Wermers because, according to this song, she doesn’t fuck around. The show stopper for this album is, without a doubt, “Magic Hippie Bus,” and yes, it is every bit as colorful, fun, and visual as the title of this song is. Without having seen them live, I can already guarantee that this song is a crowd favorite if it’s not already. If it isn’t, then it should be.
Rae and the Ragdolls. What more can I say? When a band is truly outstanding and has undeniably great songs, it’s not hard to write about it. The energy, the vibe, the songwriting, and the fun are all there. Rae and the Ragdolls are a band that, in my opinion, is one of the best bands I’ve heard to come out of Atlanta, and they’ve set the bar high with Sunshine in a Shadow, Vol. II. Rae and the Ragdolls is the band that I needed at this point in time, and I think this band will turn heads, create smiles, and have people freak out dancing en masse. Rae and the Ragdolls is a band that I will definitely be keeping an eye on for a long time to come. So I’ll go to the shows, buy the music, and proudly wear the T-shirt.
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