Album Review: Royal Blood, Back To The Water Below

It seems like everyone’s talking about English two-piece Royal Blood right now, in the wake of that infamous mic drop at the BBC’s One Big Weekend festival earlier this summer. The bass-led band’s fourth LP will only increase the volume of tongues wagging, but this time it’ll be for the right reasons.

Putting their music where their mouths (and middle fingers) were, Back To The Water Below is the band’s best record to date, as they take another step up the ladder towards rock royalty. The album marks the first time the band have completely self-produced an album, and there’s a noticeable increase in confidence and swagger. Emboldened by not having anyone to answer to, Royal Blood spread their musical wings a little further.

This is particularly the case on the Beatles and Ziggy-spiced ‘The Firing Line’, and the funky ‘High Water’. Best of all though is ‘Shiner In The Dark’, a glorious stomper sounding like Black Sabbath covering The Sweet.

The T-Rex-style ‘There Goes My Cool’ is a close second, boasting a beautiful, soaring solo that’ll have Saint Marc smiling down from above. While the record loses its way a little in the middle, Back To The Water Below will make even more waves for Royal Blood.

7/10