Review Summary: An explosive debut from Britain's rising rock duo superstars.
It’s rather amazing how musical duos can produce a sound similar to one of a full, four-person band. Even though they may lack the manpower compared to a traditional rock outfit setup, it’s hard to tell that only two people are leading the way. That’s the story behind Royal Blood, a two-man garage and blues-influenced rock band from Brighton, England. Consisting of vocalist and bassist Mike Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher, the British duo may only consist of two people, but it’d be extremely difficult to realize that just by listening to them. After releasing the promising
Out of the Black EP earlier this year, the release of their first full-length record was something that I was looking forward to, given the potential they showed with the songs they already released.
First things first, three-fourths of the aforementioned EP are included on the album (“Hole” being the only cut that failed to make it through), so fans of it should be glad to know most of the Royal Blood songs they already know and love represent a sizeable portion of the record. By far, the best song is still “Out of the Black”, which has the duo of Kerr and Thatcher playing at their most tight and fierce yet. Its groovy bassline emits a vicious aura throughout before exploding in the chorus as Kerr furiously cries, “You made a fool outta me and took the skin off my back running, so don’t breathe when I talk ‘cause you haven’t been spoken to” over the frantic crashing of the drums. There’s a reason it has gained popularity across the pond, reaching #2 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock charts and capturing the hearts of many, and that’s because Royal Blood go all out on it. The pure aggression that is captured in “Out of the Black” just shows off the best parts about them.
Royal Blood utilize the combination of bass and drums to create a hard rock sound with garage rock and blues and grunge influences, complemented by the natural low tune of the bass. Vocally, Kerr sounds like a more aggressive version of Jack White on certain songs, but most of the time it’s hard to draw comparisons to anyone else. His best moments come when he energetically tears his way through songs, like on “Little Monster” or “Figure It Out” where his swaggering bravado is one of the main focuses of the track. The latter sees him singing a rather infectious melody while playing a funky bassline, and that chorus ranks amongst some of the best on the album. Along with the Queens of the Stone Age-esque “You Can Be So Cruel” and the fantastic, precise drum performance on “Loose Change”, Royal Blood prove that they’re at their best when Kerr’s twin-axe attack of fiery vocals and hard-hitting basslines amalgamate flawlessly into the meticulous drumwork that Thatcher brings. The duo combine together to form one hell of an instrumental section, and it’s one of the focal points of the band.
Of course, that’s not to say that they’re only good when they’re playing fast and furious; not at all. The last two tracks on
Royal Blood are both relatively slow-paced, especially when compared to the majority of the album. Both “Ten Tonne Skeleton” and “Better Strangers” naturally exude a crisp layer of darkness with their gloomy lyrics, and Kerr’s eerie basslines only help boost the effect. Add in the slow tempo, and you’re strapped in for a dreary ride. It’s a different side of Royal Blood, and perhaps it would have been better suited for the songs to have been more spread apart in the tracklisting. Yet at the end of day, it’s the reassurance that the band can play both fast and slow well, alternating between the riff-driven punch that “Little Monster” brings and the hard blow that “Come On Over” delivers with tracks where it’s not the vocals that take center stage, but rather the instrumentation. The focal point of these songs is the memorable basslines, which, instead of aggressively sawing their way through like usual, help in the creation of a sinister atmosphere.
Even though it’s a wonderful listen, it’s also a pretty fast one, too.
Royal Blood consists of ten songs, but only one – closer “Better Strangers” – clocks in at over four minutes. While thirty-two minutes may seem pretty short, it makes sure that the album doesn’t drag towards the end, limiting the amount of filler to a very small percent of its material. With that said, the song structure does lack variation, and for the most part, repeats the same formula most of the time, save for the slower songs at the end. Yet instead of being overwhelmingly bland and tepid, Royal Blood’s tag team duo of Kerr and Thatcher manage to keep it interesting throughout, playing the hell of those bass and drums that shows the band’s talent in their instrumental section. Even if some of the album’s best songs (“Out of the Black” and “Little Monster” included) have already been released for months, the transition from four-song EP to full-length album runs smoothly for them – this is not a band that can only keep it up for a couple songs at a time. With their explosive debut, Royal Blood prove themselves to be deserving of all the hype that comes their way, and only time will tell if they can manage to retain the fire they started out with.
