How Did We Get So Dark

Week 19: Royal Blood- Typhoons

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Many of the purists of the duo may have been concerned when they opted to change direction and sound like a combination of Franz Ferdinand with their disco-punk and Tame Impala with their psychedelia. Still, they didn’t have much to fear because it hadn’t affected Royal Blood all that much sonically. You can still hear their fundamentals shining through and their spirit. There is something for everyone on this latest album, four years on from “How Did We Get So Dark?” For example, ‘Boilmaker’ sounds like your typical Royal Blood song.

‘All We Have is Now’ is a piano ballad that closes out the record, ‘Either You Want It’ is a track right out of the Tame Impala psychedelia manual, and ‘Million and One’ is a moody love song that is uplifted by the disco akin to Franz Ferdinand with synths included to the mix to give the track flesh.

Mike Kerr was inspired to experiment with this album after quitting alcohol and talking to Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age about what sort of new elements he and Ben could do on the next Royal Blood record. Through this newfound confidence since becoming teetotal and the advice given by Josh, Mike removed the direction from the second album. Once again, the lyrical content is strong across all subjects, ranging from self-reflection love, despair, and hope.

I preferred the final track, ‘All We Have is Now,’ as my favourite, with its sense of calm and melancholy. It is a piano ballad and the only one on the record. As the album starts with ‘Trouble’s Coming’ and maintains that energy level consistently, although some psychedelia might be chucked in, it is apt to end on a soft and calm note. I would like to see this added to the encore’s final song on the forthcoming tour (Whenever that is) to temper the fans before they head home. As for the direction? It hasn’t soured their identity, and nor will I think the purists will be pissed off with it. You can still tell it’s Royal Blood.

Song recommendations: ‘All We Have is Now’, ‘Either You Want it’, ‘Million and One’

8/10

Week Twenty-Five: Royal Blood- How Did We Get So Dark?

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The incredible thing about the Sussex duo (Brighton, to be precise.) is that they only started in 2013 and, over a year later, released the self-titled debut album that instantly catapulted them from unknowns to established artists on the back of a concise journey on their way there. It is some record, as I have never heard of any artist, let alone a band, making it to the top in such little space after their formation. They were instantly successful, as few metal rock bands were coming through in the mainstream. 

Well, certainly not from the United Kingdom and Ireland, anyway. The biggest surprise is that they still stand alone with their in-your-face metal rock. Usually, an act like this inspires several others to come through with the same sort of sound (I can only think of Abadden, who are much, much heavier.), but for some reason, it didn’t appear to happen. The first thing that struck me about them is how far technology has come, and Mike Kerr can make a bass squeal like a lead guitar. If you learned about this and listened to them without seeing anything, you would assume that Mike plays lead/rhythm guitar rather than bass.

The trouble is, where would they go with their second album sonically? Although having fans like Noel Gallagher got people to listen to them, you can’t see them doing anything like the space jazz-inspired “Riverman” featured on Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ second album, “Chasing Yesterday”, could you? But what was in store on “How Did We Get So Dark”? They certainly didn’t go the space jazz, cosmic pop or psychedelic rock route. However, although it may be more of the same as their debut album, this record is still original—another 40-minute metal rock record that decimates your eardrums with some rather bizarre choices in direction.

The biggest surprise on the record that features “Lights Out”, “I Only Lie When I Love You”, and the album track “How Did We Get So Dark?” is a hip-hop element in “Sleep”. The stand-out track for me has to be the frantic “I Only Lie When I Love You”, which in metaphorical terms, sounds like the duo is fighting against tidal waves as they try their best to swim through.

Although this record may be more mature than the previous one, we still absorb Mike Kerr’s lyrics about a relationship that has faded away and gradually unravels throughout the record. We start with Mike being besotted with songs like “Hook, Line & Sinker” to the heartbreaking moments of “Hole in Your Heart”. Let’s face it, with an album title of “How Did We Get So Dark?”, you weren’t expecting an upbeat album talking about fluffy clouds and bouncy castles, were you? The record may not tread any new ground with creativity, but it has very well-executed production and songwriting. Does it beat their self-titled debut album? Even though Messrs Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher have shown some new direction with a bit of funk and hip-hop, it still has a very tough act to follow. For Me, “Why Did We Get So Dark?” does not stand up to “Royal Blood”, but only time will tell if that’s the general view of the critics and listeners.

8/10