Brighton rock duo, Royal Blood, have unleashed their third record, ‘Typhoons’.
Opening with ‘Troubles Coming’, the first groove-laden single that introduced us to ‘Typhoons’; the band layer funk-laced basslines with addictive vocal hooks and disco-type drum beats, swirling into a dancefloor-filling outro.
Rock drenched in gold dust; ‘Oblivion’ is a killer of a track, taking the classic Royal Blood sound and making it danceable. The addition of synths, vocoders, and female backing vocals are sprinkled throughout the record, showing the band stepping further away from their two-piece rock traditions.
Title track ‘Typhoons’ has an ear-worm of a chorus, whilst ‘Who Needs Friends’ feels light, contrasted by Kerr detailing his struggles finding his way through the darkness of mental health issues. ‘Million and One’ sounds huge – an instant arena filler.
The psychedelic tones of ‘Limbo’ venture into a Tame-Impala-meets-Daft-Punk-meets-Royal-Blood area, before heading into the poppier territory of ‘Either You Want It’ . Fan-favourite ‘Boilermaker’ lives up to the hype, with it’s instrumental breakdown setting itself as one of the best parts of the record.
‘Mad Visions’ feels so un-Royal Blood, yet still so good. Hitting the danciest section of the album; harmonic vocals ascend into rippling synths, before erupting into the bass and drum heavy instrumentals that we know so well.
Transitioning perfectly from ‘Mad Visions’, ‘Hold On’ is the highlight of the album. Like Muse with fireworks, Royal Blood bring groove, funk, and rock into one, with a powerfully optimistic chorus.
Album closer, ‘All We Have Is Now’ sees Kerr at his most personal lyrically. A stark contrast to the danceability of the rest of the record, yet the dark tone of the lyrics stays the same.
A huge evolution from their previous two records; ‘Typhoons’ places Royal Blood at their lyrical and musical best – an experimental sound that finds the duo in a cooler place than ever before.
Listen to ‘Typhoons’ here:
LDOI 