Album Review: Royal Blood - 'Typhoons'
Brighton duo Royal Blood are looking to claim your car radio this summer with their frenetic but radio friendly third album, Typhoons. This outing sees Mike Kerr’s signature throaty bass and Ben Thatcher’s clattering drums augmented by synths, with a resulting soundscape that lends itself more to dancing than head-banging.
Considering rock duos typically consist of drums and a six-string electric guitar, Kerr has received deserved praise for achieving a wall of sound on Royal Blood’s tunes on a bass alone.
Previous Royal Blood efforts, 2014’s self-titled debut and 2017’s How Did We Get So Dark?, featured elaborate licks that would have been no mean feat on an electric guitar, never mind a bass. This was Kerr’s way of saying that anything anyone else could do with six strings, he could do with four. Typhoons pares this down a little, with simple but effective riffs that don’t feel the need to overelaborate. The grunge has been superseded by glitter.
Despite this, it’s still an intimidatingly muscular sonic presence, something that’s cleverly offset by the frosty, falsetto backing vocals that underpin the record. Like every English rock album since 2006, Typhoons owes a lot to Arctic Monkeys and the backing vocals are an understated but important part of that sound. (You might argue that the Arctic Monkeys were indebted to Queens of the Stone Age there but that’s a discussion for another day.)
Unlike the emergence of Arctic Monkeys, Typhoons isn’t going to pull up many trees. The lyrics are inoffensive but bland, with the usual rock ‘n’ roll fare of sex and drugs taking top billing. Royal Blood may sound a bit different here but still follow the simple, prosaic song structure that’s brought them so much joy in the past.
Having said that, the songs, especially title track “Typhoons” and barnstorming album opener “Trouble’s Coming”, are noticeably more hook-oriented and, therefore, radio friendly. Those two are also the best tracks on the album.
Don’t worry, they haven’t sold out. It’s still (mostly) balls-out rock at the end of the day. There are some forays into other territory, though. The album’s closing track, “All We Have Is Now”, is a meandering, piano-led ballad that Josh Homme wouldn’t be heard dead singing. Sonically speaking, it couldn’t be more different to their usual stuff. I know what you’re thinking. “A piano ballad? Royal Blood?” I don’t necessarily begrudge them it, though. It’s not what we’ve come to expect from the Brighton duo but, while unspectacular in itself, “All We Have Is Now” signals that Royal Blood potentially have a bit more depth than I’ve given them credit for. I’ll certainly be interested in hearing what they come up with next.
The stark contrast between that and “Boilermaker” couldn’t be more stark. “Boilermaker” debuted at Reading Festival 2019 and has been a fan favourite ever since. If you’re more of a rock purist and prefer their earlier stuff (you bloody hipster), then this is for you. As much as variety is nice, I can’t deny that “Boilermaker” is one of the strongest tracks on the album. This is where Royal Blood are at their best: with Kerr’s bass turned up to 11 and Thatcher hammering the set like John Bonham in his prime.
At the end of the day, Typhoons is a lot of fun. It’s not clever, it’s not complex but it does what it says on the tin. It’s become my go-to album whenever I go to the gym. It’s good music to get in the zone and doesn’t require much concentrate. In fact, I heartily recommend listening to “Trouble’s Coming” while you’re gurning, trying to curl out that last rep. You’ll probably look like an idiot but you’ll feel cool, and that’s the important thing, right? The dance-oriented, synth-led sound that dominates Typhoons is similar enough to their previous stuff to feel familiar but different enough to feel fresh. Stick it on the next time you’re cruising down the motorway and I guarantee you’ll love it, just don’t expect it to change your life.
Words by Dylan Wilby