ROYAL BLOOD | How Did We Get So Dark | Album Review |

NOTE: This review was posted on June 17, 2017. 

Three years ago, in the year of 2014, there seemed to be a truck load of breakout rock bands that left an unmistakable and unforeseeable impact on the rock scene. Ones that stuck with the rock label and didn't reach too far outside its comfort zone but also felt more creative and interesting, and rightfully so with that in place the fans definitely came in droves. Royal Blood has turned out to be one of the biggest of the crop of new rock bands that have a lot of dynamacy and fresh ideals in order to contribute to where rock's going to be going in the future. With a feature on the HBO series "Vinyl" as well as touring spots with Iggy Pop and Foo Fighters, and also having a successful self-titled album with two Top 5 singles and a Number One single, the two people that make up Royal Blood have seen a lot of success even though they've been together for only four years. It's rare in this day and age that a band or a duo has success and is one of the most prominent new faces in rock and they've been a band for that short amount of time, but that's exactly what we have with Royal Blood, who has released their sophomore effort entitled "How Did We Get So Dark". This was an album that I was really looking forward to, since Royal Blood are sort of like Death From Above (formerly Death From Above 1979) in the fact that they are a rock duo and there aren't any guitars in the mix. Instead, we get a bass guitar and a drum kit, and that leads to a very huge and immersive sound. 

"How Did We Get So Dark" is much like its predecessor in multiple ways. For one, some of these songs on the album were unveiled to us a while back. "Hook Line And Sinker", one of the singles from this disc, was placed in their live rotation up to two years prior to the release and completion of this album, and of course there was the aforementioned "Vinyl" soundtrack placement with the song "Where Are You Now". Secondly, this album is very similar to their other release in style. The massive riffs that were a fixture of that album make a presence here and have not gone anywhere, so fans don't have a lot to worry about whenever it comes to this band deviating from their sound, which they don't. These feel like unused B-sides from their previous album, and while that statement often will be used in the most negative of connotations, this is a band that has a fantastic style that is minimalist but also impactful, which gives off the vibe that these were B-sides that they were saving for then ext album that they felt worked and that they felt the fans that really enjoyed the first album would like, and that's definitely a great thing. It seems like Royal Blood is one of those bands that does not need to branch out and do something radically different in order for them to put out a great album, and that's definitely the case of this album. 

As we begin the album, we are first hit with the title track of the disc which does inform us of the simple style that will be an amazing fixture on the entirety of the album, but at the end of the day, this is really just an alright song. But, I will give them credit as it does feel like a fitting opener, and is no exception to the many bands that have opened their album with fitting tracks that show you the ropes so to speak. Then, we are hit with the first radio single, "Lights Out", which is a song I absolutely love. I love these riffs that Mike Kerr is able to present to us while he's executing the singing vocals with drummer Ben Thatcher in the background giving a very strong performance on this track and throughout this album. They definitely are on a solid winning streak all throughout this song, with a key part of the song being the instrumental section right before the third chorus where the riffage and the drumming really have their chance to shine. Lyrically, the band mostly talks about relationships and all of that stuff, and that is something heavily present on this song as well as the other songs on here, and some of the track titles give that notion away easily with songs like "She's Creeping" as well as "I Only Lie When I Love You". However, what really stands out is the musicality and the inflection of Mike Kerr's vocal abilities, which give this album a very strong leg to stand on as we get to amazing tracks like "Don't Tell" and the aforementioned single "Hook, Line, And Sinker". 

This is by no means a flawless or seamless album from front to back as there is a bit of a lull right in the middle of the disc, with tracks like "Look Like You Know" and the song from the "Vinyl" soundtrack "Where Are You Now". These tracks don't show the band at their highest point, and it feels like Mike and Ben were on a little bit of autopilot with these two tracks, which are by no means bad songs. However, like with the title tracks, they're ones that are just OK and really don't have as much of a lasting significance and a lasting value to them. So, these are definitely the weak points whenever they're lined up with songs such as "Lights Out" as well as "She's Creeping", and the last two tracks on the album "Hole In Your Heart" and "Sleep". "Hole In Your Heart" is probably the closest example of Royal Blood trying a few different things although the construct of their style doesn't change in any way whenever you hear this song, and "Sleep" serves as a nice bookend to the album, with a slow build whenever it comes to the riffage and a fantastic vocal melody coming from Mike especially on the chorus of this track. So, you can already tell that this album mostly goes on that winning streak as it goes on, and the occasional misstep down the staircase doesn't limit or debilitate them at all. Royal Blood still have a lot of power to truck through all of these songs very gracefully. 

Overall, I'd have to say that this album is right up to my expectations. I expected this to be a great sophomore album by the band, and they definitely didn't hesitate to deliver that to me. I'd really recommend this album and their previous album to any person  looking for a bit of different sounds within the rock construct as well as something that has a fantastic groove to it as well as tracks in which are easy to jam to. Royal Blood have been an artist that you need to watch for a while now, and it feels like many are watching, many more will probably proclaim that as well based on them listening to this album as their first exposure to the band, and there will be plenty more in the future with future album releases. Royal Blood prove with this album that their crossroads don't always require a route to different things and that they can lead to the same place and still feel like they are placing their stamp on the genre with their heavy sound and their passionate capabilities. Their next album could go in many different directions, but the best thing for these two men is to just keep doing what they're doing because it's working magnificently and if they do try to branch out, I guarantee they'll get it to work just as well. 

RATING: 8/10 

 

What did you think about the record? Was it good? Was it bad? Let me know in the comments below. And of course, these are only my opinions. If your opinions are different, awesome! If they're similar, then that's great, too. So, don't hesitate- comment to me about it down below. Take care.