It sounds contrary to contend this, but some musical mixtures are more easily imagined than executed and, most often, the simplest and most straightforward combinations are the most troublesome to successfully carry off. A perfect example of an idea that seems simple in theory but proves not to be so simple in practice is the mixture of rock, punk and soul. Sure – lots of bands have tried to make such a mix work, and occasionally they're able to pull it off – Rancid has lucked into a sublime crossbreed a few times, and The Gaslight Anthem gets it right once in a while – but the ratio of successfully orchestrated hybrids of those three genres to sketchy-at-best attempts is about one in thirteen; which is to say, for every band that gets it right, there are twelve that miss the mark because they focus too much on one facet of the combination. With that in mind, it could be contended that most bands trying to make the aforementioned mix work are mired in a career-long attempt to find the perfect balance – which makes the Blacklist Royals' Semper Liberi all the more special because, on this debut, the band nails their mark right out of the gate.
From the moment “No Looking Back” kicks off to open the album, there's no missing the “punk” in Jamie White's scruffy and urgent guitar lines and Nat Rufus' hoarse vocals but, behind that lush and rattling keyboards give the proceedings a bit of soul and Rob Rufus' aggressive but not-at-all-heavy-handed drums take the song out of the just-another-punk-tune arena and elevate it to another level. As it plays, listeners will get that first rush of adrenaline passing through them but they'll pause instinctively to recognize what's actually going on here before they really get into it. There is no brash or hollow sloganeering anywhere in “No Looking Back,” just genuine, plain-spoken punk rock n' roll.
Lightning strikes twice as the band doubles up its' own reserves of stamina for “Rock N' Roll” to produce an experience that borders on religious and, by the time “Howling At The Moonlight” gets legs under it, everyone listening is sold and there isn't a dry seat in the house; with three strikes, you'll be knocked out and made a fan.
After another ecstatic exercise (“White Line Fever”), Blacklist Royals begin to deviate from their own established norm with the slightly more acoustic-flavored “American Hearts” and the more-soul-than-punk “Tennessee Blues” before sitting down for the live-to-tape campfire rave-up “Drive On.” By then, Blacklist Royals have listeners transfixed and awe-stricken – no one's going anywhere, no matter what they do – and when the band starts sewing up the record and arcing the sounds back to where they started, it just feels like the icing on the cake that completes the cycle and and makes it possible to play the record on repeat for hours. Unlike so many other modern rock records of any kind, Blacklist Royals lay Semper Liberi out like a complete experience that doesn't necessarily have to end; the turns that the record makes in its' run-time are really gratifying and don't get stale with repeat play.
Needless to say, Semper Liberi will be a tough act to follow when the band decides to re-enter the studio to record a follow-up but, given the impression left by this album, the band won't likely be tempted to coast. Without ambitiously trying to rock out some grand statement, Blacklist Royals have left an indelible mark with their debut that seems to say it's only the beginning; they'll come back even stronger when they do come back.
Artist:
www.blacklistroyals.com/
www.myspace.com/blacklistroyals
Download:
Blacklist Royals – “Church Bells Are Ringing” – Semper Liberi
Further Reading:
Blacklist Royals Six Strings EP review.
Album:
Semper Liberi is out now. Buy it here on Amazon .
