Matt Helder T-shirt! Rapid rise to fame! Two people! Only bass and drums!
Words and soundbytes you've undoubtedly heard if you've heard anything regarding the relatively newish Brighton rockers Royal Blood. After releasing several singles (and an EP for you lucky yanks), the duo have recently released their self-titled debut and, much like the record's running time, this short review can only re-enforce what you've already read and heard.
Royal Blood's sound can be best described as The Black Keys or The White Stripes excluding guitar and americana but including the effect's pedal from Muse's Hysteria. Bass leads with a delightful range of sounds which carry the record whilst Ben Thatcher's percussion plays it relatively safe but has a few glimpses of expansion and creativity, like the end of Blood Hands with the simple yet satisfying beat to lead off the song.
The album is nothing more than short bursts of rocky goodness with only the first and final track veering over the four minute mark and whilst I've complained about this before, here, the quality of the songs is so consistent, the short running time and unfortunate samey sound is forgiven.
Songs can range from short, sharp shocks like Come On Over and Loose Change (and I'm hoping I wasn't the only one tricked into thinking I dropped some coins at the end) to slightly longer, more traditional rock arrangements like the superb Little Monster and fantastic closer Better Strangers.
Lyrically, the album is nothing amazing, but you'll be more focused on the music or possibly Mike Kerr's easy-on-the-ears vocal performances. His voice occasionally hits some pretty good falsetto tones and easy blends into the mix when the bass hits the higher riffs, making a far satisfying sound.
8/10
H
@Retcon_Nation
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