ROYAL BLOOD ‘BACK TO THE WATER BELOW’

Released Date- 1st September 2023

Words: Charlie Barnes

The staple rock n roll duo ROYAL BLOOD have blessed their fans to their newest riff filled album ‘BACK TO THE WATER BELOW’, the two-piece have been leading the way for mainstream rock music since 2014, stations such as Radio X and Radio 1 have been spinning their records non-stop since their rise in popularity. However, one of the many troubles of being a two-piece is how far can you push your music as a duo before having to recycle old ideas or sounds and are you able to keep your music different and fresh? ROYAL BLOOD fell into the CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN syndrome of making the same album repeatedly with their debut and self-titled album ROYAL BLOOD and their second album ‘HOW DID WE GET SO DARK?’ Which sounded similar in style and theme when they could’ve easily been one big album, since then their 3rd album Typhoons they liberated themselves from falling down the rabbit hole of repetitivness and went in a different direction of a disco rock album which gave their sound a well needed breath of fresh air needed, now with their 4th album having just been released, do they continue their creative streak or fall back into their old ways.

The album kicks off with the first single that was released, setting the tone of what would seem to be an album full of classic MIKE KERR riffs with his pedal heavy Bass solos, followed by Ben Thatcher’s hard hitting drums which he delivers throughout the whole album even on the softer songs such as “Pull Me Through” Thatcher drives the music forward with his tempo and the drums layered in the background accompanied some of Kerr’s best vocals to date, every word seems full of emotion and purposes “sinking to the bottom/lost but not forgotten” Kerr gives his all on this track leaving it a personal favourite. This album, like their 3^rd album pushes out the creative boundaries and brings their talent and production of making something they believe is truly special and the duo taking the lead on the self-produced album shines out their instinctive talent and brings it to the limelight.

Overall, ‘Back To The Water Below’ proves that taking a risk and going with your gut is always the best decision, the duo have already taken the crown for the pop rock genre, using the newfound leeway to be more creative benefits them as well as fans, giving the fans a variety of music to choose from as well making sure the duo don’t get stuck in the rut of the same old recycled style of music, this album isn’t a big branch out of style compared to Typhoons, it’s a softer version of the first two, focusing on Kerr’s vocals and the blend drums, bass and piano creating a well-balanced and fleshed out rock album. Despite not being a personal favourite from the duo, having a few forgettable songs, ‘Back To the Water Below‘ is a step in the right direction for the duo, I solely believe if a band wants to experiment with their sound and go with their gut then I fully support that no matter the outcome.