We're Not Who You Think We Are
Album: High
Year: 2015
. . .
It really is a damn shame that Royal Headache broke up after High, as it was clear that they were already expanding out from their initial punk-soul formula with slow ones like “Wouldn’t You Know,” songs with long intros like “Garbage,” and their greatest song, the utterly heartbreaking “Carolina,” which is one of my very very favorite songs of the 2010s.
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #2133: Royal Headache – “Carolina”
Album: High
Year: 2015
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Things were always tumultuous in the Royal Headache camp. Despite — or perhaps because of — the unexpected success of their eponymous 2011 debut album, they broke up in 2013, with the follow-up partially recorded. After being broken up for a year, they got back together to finish the record.
That record, High, was a quantum leap from Royal Headache. Not only did it sound bigger and fuller, it varied up the songs — there’s a couple of slower ones, and a couple that break the four-minute mark — and augmented the instrumentation with some occasional acoustic guitar and keyboards. Though you really couldn’t hear the keyboards all that much. Or the acoustic guitar, for that matter.
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #2132: Royal Headache – “Love Her If I Tried”
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.
[Read more…] about Certain Songs #2131: Royal Headache – “Psychotic Episode”