Album Review: Royal Blood — Back to the Water Below

An album fit for royalty

The English rock band Royal Blood has another highly impressive album for listeners to enjoy, Back to the Water Below, offering something for everyone. Their sound is inventive and catchy without sounding commercialized and their latest album has been highly anticipated, with good reason. 

“Mountains At Midnight” immediately assaults the speakers with a dynamic sound that’s catchy while still encompassing heavier parts, the layered vocals providing an interesting texture. The guitars add a compelling element with just enough distortion to complete the sound without overpowering the rest of the instrumentals. The drums are simplistic but powerful, each element skillfully layered. 

As the album progresses, there’s an electronic quality and an entrancing beat that’s lively and infectious. The music is poppy but still creative and inventive. “Shiner In The Dark” is enticing and sticks in your head long after the track has ended. It toggles between major and minor chords, the occasional keyboard thrown into the mix. The official video adds a slightly disturbing element while entertaining listeners with an appealing sound. 

“Pull Me Through” starts off slower, offering up a more acoustic, pensive feel. The pace quickly picks up, more instrumentals slowly walk their way into the track, rounding it out and adding a fuller quality. The vocals are pretty — delicate even — as they ebb and flow with the rest of the instrumentals. 

The entire album is full of surprises and the music is easy to listen to with a comfortable appeal. The vocals are subdued and flow effortlessly, melding from one track to the next. The instrumentals offer an ethereal quality and are powerful but not overpowering. 

“There Goes My Cool” offers a more classic rock feel, but it’s still fresh and new. The lyrics invite the listener in to enjoy all the band has to offer and then some. The overall sound throughout the entire album is engaging and keeps listeners wanting more. Royal Blood is talented without trying. Their music knows how to lend itself an inviting quality; each song has a sound that is distinctly the band while managing to switch things up from one track to the next.