t’s definitely been an interesting few years for Southampton-based riff merchants Band Of Skulls. After managing to pull off that increasingly difficult trick of establishing themselves in America (thanks to licensing their diet-stoner rock songs to adverts and having their song ‘Friends’ feature on the soundtrack to the much-maligned fangs and fur angst-fest that is New Moon) the English trio suddenly found their stock growing faster than Axl Rose’s waistline. Sweet Sour is the band’s second effort and sees them build on the critical and commercial success of Baby Darling Doll Face Honey: for the most part, they do it in style.
Kicking off with the suitably fuzzy, sub-Queens Of The Stone Age stylings of the title-track, it’s pretty obvious from the get-go that Band Of Skulls circa 2012 are absolutely thriving thanks to slogging their guts out on the live stage. The vocal trade-offs between Emma Richardson and Russell Marsden are perfectly paced, and at times even evoke the ghosts of Fleetwood Mac (‘Wanderluster,’ ‘Navigate’) and the warm production and blistering guitar licks on ‘The Devil Takes Care Of His Own’ and ‘You’re Not Pretty But You Got It Goin’ On’ effortlessly prove the point. Band of Skulls are more than mere one hit wonders.