Review Summary: No, this band doesn't include Jack White. Yes, it might end up eclipsing him.
Its a fairly common sentiment across the majority of opinions surrounding “Baby Darling Doll Face Honey” that had you not known prior to hearing any of the tracks on it, you’d swear it was a new White Stripes album. While I am not going to write an entire review about style plagiarism, I will quickly draw a few similarities – primarily being the bluesy male and female singing, crunchy guitar tones with almost deliberate sloppiness as well as song structure. However, I cannot get past one thing about this music, plagiarised or not: it’s really good. The opening “Light of the Morning” is immediately enjoyable, and teases the listener with what’s to come in the single track, “Death by Diamonds and Pearls”. What’s more, though they have seemingly deliberately paid homage to the great Jack White, in a sense it is still their record. They possess their own confidence and flair which comes through in the singing, the drumming and particularly the lead lines. Band of Skulls aren’t here for one record – they’re carving out a place next to a man who for so long people have tried to imitate. None have succeeded as well as this just yet.
The song writing on the album shows the sheer scope of talent present in Band of Skulls. “Diamonds and Pearls” shows a tendency towards the low-slung heavy blues that has become so common with bands like Them Crooked Vultures and Queens of the Stone Age – both Josh Homme ventures. Everyone has their own influences, I suppose. This sentiment is followed through with songs like the interminably catchy “I Know What I Am” and “Blood” – each showcasing their own values as songs in their own right rather than tacking themselves onto the album as so many bands do with their first release. These songs are contrasted by the remarkably enjoyable “Hollywood Bowl” – which plays more like a clean jazzy number. “Impossible” is uplifting with an excellent ascendant riff which takes off the song into what almost feels like a shot at an epic blues anthem – though the song doesn’t quite fit together well enough to prolong this driving force. Overall the tracks fit together admirably, without boring the listener in their slower areas and contrasting their stylistic direction many times during the record – though the final track “Cold Frame” seems to fall away without much of a bang, providing a less than satisfactory finish to what had been an enjoyable album.
The guitar riffs are almost mesmerising in their construction. Discordant yet at the same time perfect, the droning distortion and intense reverb crashes through every song with supreme confidence. The plodding, bluesy rhythm in “Diamonds and Pearls”, to the flashy jazz tone of “Hollywood Bowl”, the soft, delicate and beautiful acoustics of “Honest”, interspersed with those almost improvised flourishes present across the whole record. These are no tentative steps – these are statements that though it may be their first album, they’re not new at this. The leads in “Impossible” show maturity in writing as well – utilising the full scope of the guitar’s range to create a complex yet not overlong song which complements the proceeding and heavy “Blood” nicely. The courage to hurl out these sorts of licks with this sort of variety didn’t even come to the man Jack White until “Elephant”. There is no temerity about the guitar in this album, every single song has something to be enjoyed in it – not to mention that it complements the singing perfectly. The wah-wah is used most tastefully – which sadly is becoming more and more of a rarity. The outro of “Blood” is perhaps the best example of this – where it works alongside the singing sublimely.
The singing is shared by Russell Marsden and Emma Richardson, and as stated earlier, complements the music like a dream. As you would expect, Russell’s voice is strong yet subdued and almost lazy, characteristic of singing in the blues rock genre. Emma on the other hand has a powerful and enjoyable voice and uses it with intent – showing her full range of vocals without losing any of the force so required in this style of music – highlighted in the entire length of “Fires” and again in the outro of “Impossible”. When the two combine the harmonies are most pleasing though they both work sufficiently on their own. The lyrics are typically strange and confusing – “Death by Diamonds and Pearls” appears to be about someone with “25 grand on the bubble”, but don’t look at me for what any of that means. In this format, the lyrics mean precious little in front of the overall feel of the music, so I’m not docking points for the archetypal nonsensical rambling – it seems to work for Kings of Leon.
The album continues with its undulating intensity into the final tracks, with “Dull Gold Heart” providing a perfect contrast between yawn and brawn which allows the listener to drift away before being ripped back by a driving riff and drum combination. As one would expect, the bass plods along with persistence, yet at no point falls away where it is needed – and in a three piece band it is required constantly. Richardson fills her role here with practiced ease. The drumming too fills out what is required by it, with no frills or flourishes. This at times got to me – the pioneering influence of Bonham and friends seems to play no part in modern blues rock. Though it attracts the listener to the singing and previously lauded guitar lines, it never really makes itself heard. Guitar purists will disagree with me, but I believe there is always a place for skilful drumming in any form of the blues.
“Baby Darling Doll Face Honey” is a manifestly enjoyable record. I said I wouldn’t make an issue of the links to the White Stripes and listen to the music as it is written, but in my final mark the fact that the style has been entirely lifted from Mr. White and co is reflected. Though this may be the case, the album does show the listener just what this band is capable of – great things. I am looking forward to the next Band of Skulls release with bated breath, this is a band that could really make something of themselves and I’m sure once you hear “Baby Darling” you will agree with me.
