Finally, a likeable Royal.
Another week and another Glasgow band comes racing out of the traps with a fiery new single. This time it's the turn of The Royal We and if it seems as though the band are in a hurry, then you'd be spot on. The thing is, with a few weeks to go until their debut album is released, the band has already announced their decision to split after its release to concentrate on other projects. You may be thinking that's a bit defeatist or why we are bothering ourselves with reviewing a track that's likely to disappear but one listen indicates there is something worth listening to here.
'All The Rage' is the title and all the rage sums up the song perfectly, capturing the Glasgow scene and the wider landscape of guitar pop at the same time. With the frenzied pace of the Fiery Furnaces and the musical eloquence of Arcade Fire, The Royal We carry off that oh-so Glasgow indie look immaculately. At first glance, they may look like the stereotypical indie bed-wetters but the snappy vocals and tight bass suggests a hardness to the band and they'd likely handle themselves if things turned tasty. The song implores that you don't take the lead singers baby away, suggesting you could take everything else away but the one thing that matters. Standard pop-fare and the backing vocals coo and ooh in all the right places but the music is far more inventive and intelligent than anything else around and bodes well for the first, and supposedly last, album from the band.
If it is to be a brief hello and goodbye, then the hello has been rather enjoyable so lets hope the goodbye is just as sprightly.