Premiere: Rikki Rakki Ignites On Exhilarating New Song “Breaking Skin”
Rikki Rakki have had quite a year already. In the first three months of 2023, they’ve dropped a new liberating single, collaborated on a new beer with Castleburg Brewery, released a scenic video with the Hourglass Session crew, and completed a month-long residency at The Camel with four great performances (some of which were fueled by that new chocolatey brown ale). With nine months remaining on the calendar, the four-piece jangly rock group still has plenty of excitement in store for us this year, the most interesting of which will be their debut full-length album entitled Breaking Skin. Due out later this summer, the band is releasing the sensational title track as their newest single this Friday, April 21st, but The Auricular is here with an exclusive premiere of the song so everyone can join in on the fun one day early.
Sensational and thrilling, “Breaking Skin” builds on Rikki Rakki’s enthralling sound with a driving melody and boisterous climax. A simple, twangy guitar riff opens the song up, establishing a tense ambiance that turns compelling as the vocals come in. Inviting phrases are met with disengaging assertions from Erika Blatnick who sings behind melodically clenched teeth while the pressure builds. This nervy energy continues to gradually swell as the song progresses, with the rhythm section becoming more insistent and forceful before the song kicks into second gear. Here, the band displays their patented manic swing, which was felt in past songs like “Quarantine” where the band was one stray note away from calamity. This time around, the band is upping the ante on that mania as they accelerate toward the finish with an impudent and raucous singalong. “And I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” they clamor in the climax, defiantly breaking the cycle of reticent apprehension the lyrics have been confronting amidst all the musical turmoil.
Lyrically, the song taps into the visceral desire for escape, whether it is from demoralizing obligations or meddlesome reflection. Blatnick is raw and vulnerable as she confronts this mindset with a turbulent expression that punches inward and outward. The instruments gives force to these cathartic jabs, swirling behind each agitated verse with enough vigor and bluster to cover up any doubt that might creep in. It’s a song that bucks the status quo, something the band excelled at on their remarkable debut EP Quarantine Sessions released last year and have only improved on with each new composition. On “Breaking Skin,” their attempt at tearing down the walls reaches a fever pitch, as the music explodes in the climax, piercing the listener with the emotional clarity found in the song’s daring lyrics.
Pairing “Breaking Skin” with other recent songs from the band — “Cryin’ In The Uber” and “Souls” — shows the dynamic charm we should expect from the band’s self-titled debut, an album The Auricular is eagerly awaiting. Until then though, “Breaking Skin” retains all of its energizing and intense power with each listen so if you liked what you heard, stick it on repeat for an hour and immerse yourself in the electrying power of Rikki Rakki.
“Breaking Skin” comes out Friday, April 21st on all streaming platforms and Rikki Rakki is celebrating with a single release concert on Saturday, April 22nd at Get Tight Loung. They’ll be joined by Piranha Rama and Catie Lausten in what is also a birthday bash for singer/guitarist Erika Blatnik! Doors open at 7:30 PM and tickets are $10 in advance and $14 the day of the show. For more information on the show, click here or view the show poster below.
