Peddling dirty, but melodic riff rock that falls somewhere between The Black Keys and Queens of the Stone Age, the hype surrounding Royal Blood began last summer before they’d even released a song, when the drummer of the Arctic Monkeys wore a t-shirt bearing the band’s name during AM’s Glastonbury headline set. A two-piece consisting of just a bassist and drummer (the former also handles vocals), Royal Blood seem perfect to slot into the void left by The White Stripes as a modern classic rock duo with a sound far bigger than two people should be able to create.
“Little Monster” is a thrillingly direct slice of grooving, razor-edged rock with enough sheen to gather fans from the indie scene, but sufficient crunch and attack to impress those who favour harder stuff. Hooks come as much from the rhythm-driven instrumentation as the vocals, though the chorus does its job well enough too. The obvious musical chemistry within the band shines through, and the band’s no-frills attitude to songcraft is clear. Riffs are very much the order of the day, and anyone with a passing interest in guitar music will find much to enjoy in “Little Monster”. Fans of the four bands previously mentioned in particular should get acquainted with Royal Blood sooner rather than later – you don’t want to be the one to miss out.
~ Michael Bird
Check out Royal Blood’s “Little Monster” here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ere2Mstl8ww