MUSIC REVIEW: BAND OF SKULLS - 'SWEET SOUR'

Good Old-Fashioned Rock 'n' Roll from Tasty British Band that Leaves Good Bruises

By: Jesse Livingston

February 16, 2012

(PIAS Recordings) There is a flaming torch made of rough wood, and into the handle of the torch are carved these words: “Good Old-Fashioned Rock-n-Roll.” Band of Skulls are carrying that torch. They are holding it high for all to see, as though the last twenty years of “Alternative Music” were just a dream. “Why do we need an alternative?” they ask. “Isn't Good Old-Fashioned Rock-n-Roll enough?” Their new album, Sweet Sour, filled with loud guitars and melancholy melodies, would suggest that it is.

Band of Skulls Sweet Sour On Buzzine.com

Band of Skulls is from Southampton, England. As a result, they have that certain something that English bands have — something that comes from grey skies, constant rain, and being closer than most to the bleak crown of the world. Some would call it “the sublime,” in the sense of natural majesty, or “the fey,” in the sense of doomed madness. Doves has it, Delays has it, The Cure has it, Radiohead has it. It's the feeling of something huge and wild — something too big to be fully grasped or understood. In many ways, it's the sound that England has been exporting for the last half-century.

There's a duality in Sweet Sour, as the title makes clear. The cover image is a tangled mass of bone and muscle reflected into the shape of a heart. That's a pretty good metaphor for Band of Skulls' music. It's visceral but sentimental, with equal parts guitar attack and delicate vocals. Songs like “Sweet Sour,” “Lies,” and “The Devil Takes Care of His Own” have that hard-rock groove made famous by bands like Steppenwolf and Led Zeppelin, and revived recently by The White Stripes and their acolytes. “Lay My Head Down,” “Hometown,” and “Close to Nowhere” have more of a slow, quiet, classic-rock interplay of finger-picked guitar and vocal harmonies. However, the music never strays far from its roots in blues-based song structures.

The band consists of Russell Marsden on guitar and vocals, Emma Richardson on bass and vocals, and Matt Hayward on drums. Marsden and Richardson have great voices and they sound good together. Not many straight-up rock bands have male and female vocals on nearly every song; it's an unusual and welcome aesthetic. Marsden sings lead on many of the songs, with Richardson providing a ghostly backing track that subtly modifies his range. The result is a hauntingly androgynous timbre that bridges a gap most people aren't aware exists. Richardson's voice is much more prominent on the slower songs, which sound more like traditional duets.

Sweet Sour is produced by Ian Davenport, who also produced Supergrass and Badly Drawn Boy. You'll hear many similarities to those recordings in the warm, full sound he provides here. Band of Skulls has been opening for acts such as Muse, The Dead Weather, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. It seems that people who appreciate intense music with smart hooks have been championing the trio of late. They certainly deserve all the new listeners they can get.

Standout Tracks: “Bruises,” “Wanderluster,” “Lay My Head Down,” “Lies”