IN REVIEW: Royal Blood - S/T

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Earlier this year, I reviewed the debut EP by Royal Blood, the hard rocking UK duo that's earned the seal of approval from everyone from Arctic Monkeys to Jimmy Page. With such high praise already heaped upon them, it was going to be hard for their full-length debut to live up to the hype. To be frank, it doesn't, but it's not for lack of promise.

Using minimal overdubs and no guitars (all that noise is being made by bass and drums), Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher have managed nonetheless to craft one of the year's most greasy, loud records. And yes, I'm going to harp on loud mastering again; as is sign o' the times, this album is given the old "in the red" treatment, with Thatcher's drums often distorting and sucking a good chunk of the life out of the songs. If you're looking for maximum enjoyment (from this record and I'm assuming all rock music in general going forward), burn your headphones, then bury them in the backyard.

Strictly musically speaking, there's not a lot of variation to be found; dirty, bluesy hard rock is what's for breakfast, lunch and dinner on this menu. That said, it's performed ably, and I'm happy to report that the abundant grooves that were the EP's hallmark do indeed transition in full to the album. Critics will cry "derivative" while citing clear White Stripes/Black Keys influences. Those influences can't be denied, and they're going to dog Royal Blood until they stretch out their sound, if they choose to.

Still, it's important to note that this is very much the work of a new band, scooped up in the crushing wave of British hype and expected to surf. Not every band can take that pressure head on the way Arctic Monkeys did, and I'm not willing to write them off without hearing what's next. Like I said, there's a great deal of promise here; with a little healthy artistic growth and some patience on our part, Royal Blood could very well become an incredibly exciting and interesting band.

August 26, 2014 • Warner Bros.
Highlights Out of the Black • Figure It Out • Little Monster

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