Brighton rockers Royal Blood burst onto my radar back in 2014, first with their Out of the Black EP and then with their full-length debut that released not long afterwards. Their rowdy blend of rock ‘n’ roll immediately caught my attention, and so when the time came for their sophomore effort I jumped at the chance to review it. How Did We Get So Dark? releases next Friday and is a fine continuation of that sound they so successfully harnessed on 2014’s self-titled.
How Did We Get So Dark? opens with the title track, a mid-tempo jam with a roaring bassline and eerie croons in the background, both courtesy of bassist and vocalist Mike Kerr. The best part about the album opener though is its vicious ending, where Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher cut loose instrumentally, setting the perfect backing for Kerr’s syncopated humming. The lead single “Lights Out” follows this up with a solid groove, but doesn’t quite match the sheer potency of its predecessor.
One thing that recurs throughout the entire record is this groove I first observed on “Lights Out.” Whether that groove comes in the form of a nasty bluesy riff like on “She’s Creeping,” or a swampy feel underneath multiple vocal layerings on “Look Like You Know,” or a trance-inducing drum groove that nicely complements the low growl of Kerr’s bass on “Don’t Tell,” the end result is always something you can get down to.
Other moments on the album worth noting include the subtle alternating pulses on the reworked one-off single from last year, “Where Are You Now?,” in addition to the infectious cowbell on “I Only Lie When I Love You,” the insanely catchy second single “Hook, Line & Sinker,” and the slower, searing rocker “Sleep” that closes out the UK-based duo’s sophomore effort in a very similar fashion to 2014’s “Perfect Strangers.”
The final highlight from the record, “Hole In Your Heart,” boasts keys modulating right along with Kerr’s bass, a dancy chorus and a brief explosion of bass riffing on the song’s bridge, before ending how it started. The album’s penultimate cut, along with its relentless opener, serve as the two perfectly-spaced pinnacles of How Did We Get So Dark?, and though there are other standouts, none of them truly hold a candle to those two. Kerr and Thatcher have delivered once again, crafting yet another raucous rock ‘n’ roll record that at times is even rowdier than their first.
0 Comments