Royal Headache: High ALBUM REVIEW

If you look back at my Top Albums of 2012 post, you'll see that I thought very highly of this band's last LP. Their self-titled debut was rough around the edges, but featured the infectious energy of old school punk, and vocals that were so soulful, they simply couldn't be denied. 

It's been a couple years, and I was honestly starting to think that maybe Royal Headache were out of the game, because aside from a single released a few months after their debut broke through to an American audience, the band went almost completely silent. However, Royal Headache return with High, an album of similarly catchy and energetic songs that, while not anything new or revolutionary, still manage to be a lot of fun, and certainly worth checking out. 

The album kicks off with " My Own Fantasy" which shows off how much the production quality has improved since their last album, and reassures you that the band hasn't lost their knack for catchy melodies. The title track is also a standout track, with a super memorable melody and decent punk instrumentation backing it all up. 

There are also slower moments here, my personal favorite being the album centerpiece "Wouldn't You Know" which has a sweet sentiment and and even sweeter vocal performance. This track is also followed by probably my favorite track on the album, the track "Garbage". A track that is the antithesis of the preceding track; it's about a person that 'belongs in the trash', it's pretty hilarious and has a fantastic grooving bassline as well. 

Like I said before, High isn't reinventing the wheel, but it does still feature some of the finest vocals of any punk band out there right now, and the improved production does help these songs pop more than they did on the debut. Unfortunately, it also exposes just how bland the instrumentation can be, which didn't bother as much on the last album, but just seems like it should have improved over the last couple of years. 

Also, this album doesn't have any of the more vast instrumental tracks that were on the debut, and just overall feels like more of the same from a band that I wanted more of the same from about 2 years ago. All that aside, I did have a whole lot of fun with this LP, and will certainly be revisiting it throughout the year. 

7.0/10