IN REVIEW: Royal Blood - "Out of the Black" (EP)

I first reported on Royal Blood way back on January 10 upon my first encounter with their energetic, bombastic debut single Out Of The Black. Now, with the buzz machine humming behind them (along with glowing support from no less than Arctic Monkeys), they're already on the fast track in their native United Kingdom. Word is starting to get around in North America, which is where the Out Of The Black EP comes in (it's only available in EP form here).

While four songs isn't necessarily a good enough sample size to base a band on, the four songs on this EP are certainly good enough to drum up interest. Admittedly, the fifteen minutes you get from Royal Blood isn't exactly a cornucopia of ideas; it's all pretty much slight variations on sludgy blues rock. Plus, they do share a certain amount of musical DNA with The White Stripes and The Black Keys, although I suspect a lot of lazy journalists base most of these comparisons on the fact that they're a duo.

What sets Royal Blood apart is their meaty grooves, provided by Mike Kerr's bass; in fact, all the non-drum noise you hear on this EP is coming from Mike Kerr's bass. His pedal setup tricks the ear into hearing guitar, but the natural low end pushes through, lending the grooves extra thickness. Combine this with the chemistry between Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher, and you get effortless rhythms that really jump out at you. Just listen to the soaring (and slightly sinister) chorus of current single Little Monster and you'll get a clearer picture of just how locked in these guys are.

Whether any of these tracks end up on Royal Blood's debut album remains to be seen; after this fifteen minute sample, however, I know for a fact I'm really excited to hear it.

April 8, 2014 • Black Mammoth/Warner Bros.

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