Royal Blood Album Review!

What may be the most impressive part about this album is that Royal Blood is a duo rather than a full-fledged rock band. Their debut self-titled album is a robust piece of work with intricate layerings of heavy guitar and bluesy rock vocals that would lead one to believe they are listening to a full-on rock band that has been together for many years rather than a brand new band consisting of only a couple of guys. Yet here we are.

The first single off this album, “Out of the Black” was released back in late 2013 and it’s already seen some success in both the rock and indie circuits. Ben Thatcher’s punching drums complement singer Mike Kerr’s sultry vocals well. It is a crossover song, something that can appeal to the rock crowds—those who listen bands like Of Mice and Men, You Me at Six, etc—but it also has a sultry blues vibe that will draw in fans that enjoy artists like the Arctic Monkeys and the Black Keys as well.

The rest of the album follows in this crossover trend, appealing to multiple audiences. They foray into heavy rock and then follow it with the songs that are clearly blues leaning. One thing I will say is that the album is surprisingly polished for a first release of a new rock band still trying to find their sound. It flows really well as a cohesive unit and every song separately is a solid piece of musicianship. It’ll be interesting to see what path they end up taking their career and music, whether it be the hard rock path or a more alternative route.