Royal Blood
How Did We Get So Dark?

Of the many paths that Royal Blood could have chosen to follow up their acclaimed and highly successful debut, they chose to take the one (apparently simpler): consistency.

This new "How Did We Get So Dark?", co-produced by the band along with Tom Dalgety (Pixies) and Jolyon Thomas, clearly and unequivocally reaffirms how skilled the British duo is at what they do. The sound is the same as their first work, with no major jolts: a delightful blend of blues, stoner, hard rock, and just the right amount of psychedelia.

From the title track (and opener) to the closing with "Sleep," we are faced with a lava flow of energy and contagious vitality: the quality of writing is consistently high, there are no fillers, and the compactness and immediacy of the work (a mere thirty-five minutes of music) do the rest.

Small variations on the theme can still be found within the duo's offering: while the sensational single "Lights Out" excites with its furious sonic urgency, elsewhere we find a more refined taste in the care of arrangements and in crafting the melodic proposal of the pieces ("She’s Creeping"). At some point, the two things merge and give birth to one of the best tracks of the work, "Hole In Your Heart."

Despite this broadening of the more pop vein (in the noble sense of the term) in the duo's offering, there remain many episodes that recall the raw and clanking sound of their debut (absolutely convincingly and without giving the impression of recycling), among which the opener and title track, "Don’t Tell," and especially the sensational "Hook, Line & Sinker" absolutely stand out.

In short, Royal Blood hit the mark for the second time, consolidating their artistic journey with consistency and decisiveness but without sounding stale (indeed, giving it the right refresh) and gift us with another half hour of great riffs, excellent tracks, and a flame that truly shows no sign of dimming, at least for now.

Best track: Hole In Your Heart