Following a period of rest and reflection, and a recent performance at Sydney’s Opera House, Royal Headache is ready to ride once more. Their new album is called High and injects even more soul and passion into the breakneck formula that became synonymous with Royal Headache. If their first album was akin to a courtship, think of High as the romance. Not just on the level of two people falling in love, but a romance with the qualities of pop music that make Royal Headache who they are and inform what they do: eternal optimism, wistful beauty and interlocking presentation that evolves from four guys singing on a street corner to speed-addled rock, and all the brightness and darkness in between, teetering between stability and chaos and well-aware of how unsteady their footing might be. The amount of emotion and range of Shogun’s vocals and the whip-smart counterpoint provided by the band -- drummer Shortty, guitarist Law, and bassist Joe -- present a dash through decades of pop history, recombining not just the music but all of the feelings of pain and joy elicited from audiences, supercharged and ready to explode once more. Shogun’s voice and lyrics aren’t so much a secret weapon in Royal Headache’s arsenal as they are the front line, happiness and hurt soaring above the songs, driving home all the feelings within. The band will tour the U.S. this summer with Sheer Mag, including appearances at Los Angeles’ Berserktown II fest, and an open horizon thereafter.
F**S
Aussies expand on garage-soul-punk sound while tightening songs. Nailed it.
Like all the greatest breakup albums, it successfully balances the wrenching pain, loss and regret with flashbacks to the giddy joy of love at first flush, and all the complicated and mixed emotions between the beginning and the end. Case in point, the surprisingly laid back sounding, acoustic-driven “Carolina” which sports a hook worthy of the best Saints tunes, and a gravelly, soulful vocal performance that reminds me of Rod Stewart at his peak, back when seemingly peerless rock titans like Robert Plant and Paul Rodgers would kiss his ring on bent knees. The video successfully shows how Shogun puts in the same emotional energy into the song as their more energetic rockers, as he looks like he’s literally going to leap out of his skin. Fn' great. | Full Review - http://fastnbulbous.com/autumn-rocks-the-season-kicks-off-with-a-fierce-foursome/
K**H
This is an excellent rock album
This is an excellent rock album. Every is song is great to good. It was on constant play the first couple days I got it.
M**Y
Great stuff from down under
With only a few months remaining, this most likely will be my # 1 LP for 2015.Great stuff from down under!
W**S
Who reads headlines?
Best rock record in a long time.
G**A
Four Stars
It arrived a bit late but the album is good!
T**A
Cannot stop listening to this.
I was fortunate enough to see Royal Headache play in both Detroit and Boston and they are an amazing band. Sometimes reminiscent of the Small Faces, or Billy Bragg, sometimes The Jam in their early years, white soul with a punk rock edge. Shogun has really upped his game with this album, has his voice oozes with emotion and passion. He's perfectly at home with a screamer like "Garbage" as well which is the hardest song on the album but fits in nicely with some of the mellower tunes like "Wouldn't You Know." My favorite song is "Little Star, which sort of breaks my heart every time I hear it. I really appreciate the improved sound quality on this album over the first one. Why isn't everybody talking about this band?
N**T
Great album, raw energy and songs that stick around
Great album, full of energy and raw playing. One of those albums that surprised me with what I was hearing each time I listened. Still a great listen months later, and I play the whole thing through.
R**E
No!
Sad GBV ripoff. A wash of, awash in, nothing. Pollard ought to sue them. Dismissed!
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