Not too long ago, I was talking music with a friend of mine when he asked if I had heard of a band called The Rural Alberta Advantage. After I replied that I hadn’t, he described them to me as, “a genius mix of Ra Ra Riot, Connor Oberst, and Bloc Party.” I was immediately intrigued because Bloc Party and Ra Ra Riot are two of my favorite bands, and I’ve always loved Connor Oberst’s voice. My friend then played the first song from The RAA’s debut album, Hometowns, and it was like nothing that I had ever heard before. I immediately downloaded the album on iTunes.

I also had the luck of catching The RAA in a club that holds about 100 people a few weeks ago. The trio is a rather unassuming bunch and was very happy to talk to fans. In fact, before the show my fiancé went to buy a t-shirt and asked the guy who was selling the shirts if he toured with the band. The guy selling the shirts was actually the lead singer.

I have seen numerous shows there and I can honestly say that I have never seen a crowd be more riveted by an act. With only a drum set, keyboard, guitar, snare drum, and tambourine, the band was louder than many double drum set bands I’ve seen. The RAA consists of lead singer, guitarist, and keyboardist Nils Edenloff, drummer Paul Banwatt, and percussion and backup vocals by Amy Cole. The Toronto-based trio describes their music as, “indie rock songs about hometowns and heartbreak, born out of images from growing up in Central and Northern Alberta.” That description concisely summarizes their debut album to a T.

Hometowns keeps you guessing, moving from slow guitar riffs to quick, almost pop-music dance beats that get stuck in your head for days. The Ballad of the RAA starts with a resounding bass drum beat and an upbeat tempo that sets the tone for the story of Edenloff moving from his hometown to the larger Ontario. The Dethbridge in Lethbridge has an angry, punk-driven beat and Edenloff’s voice ranges from melodic to screaming. And Don’t Haunt This Place is a standout on the album. This song speaks of the pain and regret of an ending love and the possibility of lovers finding each other again someday: ”I want to hurt/I want to betray/It’s not like me to make your heart break/This was hard it was fun we should do it again/Give ourselves some time ten years for the day.”

Frank, AB tells the true story of the devastating rockslide that occurred from over-mining in the town. While Edmonton is where The RAA truly shines. Edenloff’s lyrics reach an apex talking about both a love that is leaving and a town that may never be the same again. In the Summertime is a solemn ballad about the cycle of a Summer romance: “And once in a while/I know our hearts beat out of time/And once in a while/I know they’ll fall back in line.”

As debut albums go, I can’t remember being this impressed since The Killers or Vampire Weekend. Critics have dogged The RAA and claimed that they’re playing copycat with bands like Neutral Milk Hotel or another Toronto-based band, Rock Plaza Central. But I believe that both of these bands lack the drum-drive sounds and undeniable lyrics of The RAA. In my book, The Rural Alberta Advantage deserves a genre, and a following, of their own.