Superstar R&B Meets Hard Rock
R&B, hard rock and a little bit of country go together perfectly with Roadcase Royale, a new band that shines on their first album First Things First. Despite the band itself being new, the talent on it is far from being new to the rock scene. Nancy Wilson from ’80s rock band Heart and Liv Warfield, an R&B singer found by Prince are just two of the big names composing Roadcase Royale. The rest of the band consists of Chris Joyner, Dan Rothchild and Ben Smith from Heart and guitarist Ryan Waters from Sade. Each member brings their own experience in music to create an album that spans genres and provides music for just about everyone.
The album starts with “Get Loud,” an obviously country-rock influenced song, which provides a great anthem for the album to follow. Liv Warfield’s vocals are spectacular, bringing a blues like feeling to the country guitar, and all around rock sound of the album. Inviting the listener to “get loud,” it’s the perfect song to start off the album, as it shows the diversity that each of the consecutive songs will take. The second song, “Not Giving Up” is another great example of the variety the music of Roadcase Royale takes. Warfield practically sings with the guitar, showcasing her beautiful vocals in a more subdued way.
“Even it Up” again begins with a country guitar, before transitioning to more traditional rock. Much like “Get Loud,” the repetitive chorus creates an anthem, inviting the listeners to sing and dance along. Roadcase Royale follows the formula well, making “Even It Up” one of the most memorable songs on the album. “The Dragon” takes a very different form than the previous songs on the album. It’s slower with a 1960’s style to it, warning the listener “don’t you go down/ where the dragon wakes.” Feeling like a parable of sorts, it’s a great addition to the already eclectic album.
The last three songs on the album are “These Dreams,” “Mind Your Business” and “Never Say Never.” “These Dreams” is another slower song, diverting from the hard rock and R&B that the majority of the album takes. It’s beautiful, with some great harmonizing, and lyrics that give a sense of hope. “Mind Your Business” is the sole live song on the album, and it’s brilliant. It has a great rhythm, and again highlights Warfield’s vocals perfectly.
Finally, there is “Never Say Die,” and if “Get Loud” is the best anthem to start the album, “Never Say Die” is absolutely the best one to end it. It’s full-on R&B, and closes out the album with the powerful lyrics “it’s going to be just fine/ it’s going to be alright/ if you let it come.”
First Things First is a wonderful first album for Roadcase Royale. It’s fun, diverse, and showcases the talent of the band’s superstar members very well. This album can be purchased now, and is perfect for fans of hard rock, R&B and country influenced music alike.
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