Published by Mason Oldridge, 25 August 2023
Royal Blood go back to the water below for their fourth album, following their controversial appearance at Radio 1’s Big Weekend earlier this year.
The album opens with a burst of explosive energy on opening track and lead single Mountains at Midnight, whereas the acoustic guitar and falsetto lyrics on Pull Me Through marks a change in their trademark sound, making it a surprising choice for the second single, still it doesn’t disappoint. The Firing Line carries a sense of impending doom on the verses that culminates in sorrow rather than danger on the chorus, Tell Me When It’s Too Late is arguably the heaviest on the album and There Goes My Cool gives off 70s vibes almost reminiscent of David Bowie. Waves is a nice reduction in pace, incorporating piano into the instrumental lineup to make for an impressive closer to the record.
There is some variation between tracks, though perhaps not spaced out the best, leaving the middle of the tracklist feeling somewhat saturated, with some tracks likely underappreciated.
Overall, the duo present a decent handful of their usual heavier tracks while demonstrating talent on the calmer tracks too.
7/10