Royal Blood Has Created a Monster Bearing Libidinous Fangs

Gotta love a number you can bounce right into from square one. West Sussex England brings the goods via Royal Blood, a tight twosome mixing catchy blues rock and hard rock riffs throughout its "Little Monster" single. You may have to listen in really close to grasp the blues sensibilities but no two ways about it you'll taste each flavor they've got to offer. Mike Kerr leaps out of your portable device on contact through bass guitar long on snarl that follows you to the parking lot and refuses to let you out of its cross hairs. Drummer Ben Thatcher puts some air between his sticks. That wisely allows us listeners not to have to wolf it down in one overburdened gulp. You can get very inspired from the shifts from dominant bass to Mike waxing romantic. You don't have to draw a diagram to grasp Mike's apparent animal magnetism. He fancies himself a wolf in lover boy's clothing. You know the lust dripping from his tongue has to be satisfied or else somebody's going to get the business end of his venom. That he wants to rip the heart off the sleeve of his intended conquest hearkens back to old school chivalry days. That gesture sets up a two way street for most of us, friendship, family, or trip down romance memory maker lane. He's curious as to where he's running to. I imagine he'd like her to run straight into his arms but that decision in the end rests with her. "I say run little monster before you know who I am." This chorus drips with danger. That's both a good thing potentially disastrous thing depending upon which side of the fence the relationship gravitates towards. Royal Blood gets stronger as the sound slithers along. The gusto holds consistent through to the chorus point. The second half of the ballgame puts the two on an upward trajectory. They have a keen sense for positioning the product they're selling. Mike's bass works hips into a nasty dark region of the libido. As for Ben pounding home the message works wonders for the presence he's created as a budding in studio technician. Mike's urging the she beast to come out and get some since she lacks both love and lust. Permit me somewhat of a throwback moment here. Royal Blood's chord choice on this ditty reminds me of Louisville, Kentucky act Days of the New's single "Touch, Peel, and Stand" You'd be doing yourself a big favor scanning "Little Monster" and "Touch, Peel, and Stand" for comparisons. Blues accents permeate both. Also, "Little Monster" opens loudly then tones itself down to allow Mike to go on the prowl as it were. If you wanted you could declare the opening notes represent "hot" whereas the vocal delivery implies "cool". Austinites might have seen Royal Blood at last year's South by Southwest showcase. I'm willing to guess it was a show to be remembered for some time. Royal Blood has the potential to fill a void in music with their blues horse sense. Not many artists with the potential to come up roses in that area are working their magic at present. Beck's experimental. Seether rips the wound open with its hard rock. Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless prove again that women can rock out just as convincingly as men. Where's the blues rock? Royal Blood's sex soaked monster puts the twosome well on its way to answering that question. This is a captivating baby step. I await longer strides with baited breath.