Album: Royal Headache
Year: 2011
On their debut album, Australia’s Royal Headache sounded to me like what would happen if the early Jam was fronted by the early Rod Stewart and recorded by Robert Pollard.
The result was one of the best punk rock debuts of the last quarter century, a short (26 minutes) sharp shocking blast of speedy riffs, big hooks and hoarse soul shouting by lead singer Shogun. And while it’s one of those record that takes a few listens to in order to sort out which song is which, it’s all so much fun, it’s worth the effort.
My favorite is “Psychotic Episode,” which starts with guitarist Law, drummer Shortty and bassist Joe making a big trashy-ass punk noise and Shogun sings the opening verse.
I am the anti-psychotic
I’ve tried a range of hypnotics
I am the perfect advert for living impaired
I’m trapped in a world inside
Nowhere to run or to hide
I’ve tried the leading brands
But I don’t get nowhere
Oh, and let me mention the Ramones, who were obviously a musical influence, duh, but at least in the case of this song, a lyrical precursor, as many of their greatest songs were about mental health issues.
But a psychotic episode
And I can’t go out today
Baby’s had a psychotic episode
And I’m not feeling goodPsychotic episode, doctor
How long will I stay
Baby’s had a psychotic episode
And I’m not feeling good
Joey Ramone was a hell of a singer, but there was often a slight layer of irony — if not out-and-out jokes — in many of those Ramones songs that often came out in his vocals. Not so much here. You can feel the anguish.
I went to see my doctor
Felt like a helicopter
He told me “Shogun, I think the symptoms will get worse”
I took the pills like he said
Now whenever I try and use my head
I’m feeling all the pain in the universe
Even better, after the second chorus, Law, Shortty and Joe take it from there, creating their own psychotic episode with screeching guitars, speedy (if underrecorded) bass and ferocious thrashy drums that get faster and noisier until they practically explode.
It was songs like “Psychotic Episode,” as well as other great ones like “Really in Love” and “Honey Joy” that drove enough word-of-mouth for Royal Headache to sell surprisingly well for an indie record, and it even won the “Best Album” award at the Australian Independent Record awards in 2012.
“Psychotic Episode”
“Psychotic Episode” live in NYC, 2012
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