Royal Blood, the two-piece English modern rock duo, released their fourth studio album, Back to the Water Below on Sept. 1st.
Made up of members Mike Kerr, the bassist and vocalist, and Ben Thatcher, the drummer, they are quite a unique band. The guitar heard throughout all of their discography is Kerr utilizing different effects pedals and amps to make his bass guitar sound like an electric guitar.
The band set high standards for themselves with the release of their self-titled debut album in 2014, each and every song proving their talents in the rock genre. Followed by this was the release of their second studio album How Did We Get So Dark? in 2017. They stuck to their sound and quality, matching if not surpassing their talents showcased in their debut album. However, the release in 2021 of their third studio album, Typhoons, was a disappointment to many of their fans, as the songs felt as if they were chasing a sound, resulting in gimmicky, pop-rock tracks.
Awaiting the recent release of Back to the Water Below, fans such as myself did not know whether to anticipate the excitement of the quality and sound of their initial two albums or to brace for more disappointment. Luckily for these fans, Royal Blood mostly took a step back from the pursuit of the pop-rock sound as heard in Typhoons.
“Mountains at Midnight” – 7/10
This fast-paced, upbeat rock track serves as an amazing introduction to Back to the Water Below. It is a bold start, serving as an instant sign of relief to fans as it returns much closer to the original sound found in the first two albums. Beginning the first listen to this album, I found myself excited and hopeful of the experience I would have listening through all ten tracks. Not only did this album already feel like it would leave Typhoons in the dust, it also felt closer to a natural evolution from their first two studio albums. With the initial release as the first single preceding this album, the band released a statement on X, formerly and more commonly known as Twitter, letting fans know, “We wanted to remind you who we are and what we do before we drag you down the rabbit hole with us.” The members of Royal Blood had every intent to draw back to their roots and were not going to let their fans down.
“Shiner In The Dark” – 8/10
Straight into the second track, the album continues strongly with one of the best, most memorable songs included on this tracklist. “Shiner In The Dark” leads in with a captivating crunchy guitar riff followed by an impactful drum beat and vocals. As one of my favorite tracks from the album, the chorus is catchy and fun to sing along with. The instrumentals perfectly fit hand-in-hand with the lyrics along with a short guitar solo that resonates with Royal Blood’s well-established sound.
“Pull Me Through” – 7/10
This keyboard-led song introduces a new tool to the band’s belt, expanding their range while still adhering to the elements driving their sound. This album was written fundamentally in an entirely different way than their first three. Beginning with fleshing out the instrumental on the keyboard and writing the lyrics, Kerr and Thatcher then built from there on drums and bass to reach their finished product. Previously, they would begin with riffs and beats and write their lyrics afterward. With this new approach to their writing and lyrics sourcing the title of the album, this song is a great listen.
“The Firing Line” – 6/10
This song utilizes a cleaner guitar tone than most other Royal Blood songs, allowing for a bit gentler sound. Though among the majority of the rest of the tracklist, this song fades more to the background for me. The song is also less lyrically intricate than a lot of their other work. It is an enjoyable listen, but certainly not a go-to song for me.
“Tell Me When It’s Too Late” – 9/10
My personal favorite song off the new album, “Tell Me When It’s Too Late,” remains the most in touch with Royal Blood’s previously established sound. This song contains amazing instrumentals, with the solo nearing the end making you feel as if you are being dragged deeper into the ocean with them.
“Triggers” – 8/10
With the release of this album, Kerr explained the importance of his sobriety to the production and writing of the tracks. Though each and every song is tied together throughout this theme, “Triggers” blatantly speaks about his struggle with sobriety. As the title suggests, Kerr describes in his lyrics how the triggers he experiences affect his pursuit of sobriety and looking back on his past self and lifestyle.
“How Many More Times” – 6/10
The keyboard and guitar in this track complement each other in a way that is very satisfying to the ear. Though I do not enjoy the lyrics as much as many of the other songs from this album, the instrumentals are the backbone of the rating.
“High Waters” – 3/10
The most disappointing song from this release, “High Waters” is the sole song on this 10-track album in which the gimmicky sound of Typhoons seeps through. I could see this song being enjoyable when utilized in other media, such as a film or video game, but otherwise is forgettable and pales in comparison to the other new songs. In a similar fashion, “Trouble’s Coming,” the first track on Typhoons, appeared on an in-game radio station in the racing game Forza Horizon 5. While the song is, of course, fun in this context and suits it well, I would not listen to it outside of that or go out of my way to by any means.
“There Goes My Cool” – 7/10
The keyboard in this song along with the tone and key of Kerr’s vocals is in a way reminiscent of Billy Joel, while still grounded to their own unique sound combined with the guitar. This song beautifully ramps down the album to lead into the concluding song.
“Waves” – 8/10
A beautiful and deeply emotional song, “Waves” serves as the perfect closing song for this amazing addition to Royal Blood’s discography. The song wonderfully brings the album to a close, being that it is the calmest song to date in the entirety of their repertoire. This challenges and evolves their sound in a natural manner that still captivates their audience while also concluding the story Kerr tells throughout this 10-track album. In light of sobriety being the main focus of the lyricism, “Waves” touches on the fear and struggle with the possibility of relapse. The chorus includes the lines “Don’t let me choke like I’m nothing to save if you ever lose me down under the waves.” Also tying directly into the theme of water used throughout Back To The Water Below, the waves serve as a metaphor for addiction and relapse. Considering that every new day is another in which to consciously choose to remain sober, this song leaves an important message regarding this fight.
Overall, Back To The Water Below as an album is a 7/10. If you are a fan of rock, I would certainly encourage you to check out this album for yourself. If you find that you enjoy it, you should definitely consider listening to Royal Blood and How Did We Get So Dark? as well.
