Title: The Royal We
Format Reviewed: MP3
Format Release: 25th March 2014
Reviewed by: Dan Stoten
As a writer and journalist you always like to thing your content is original and that you can sum things up in a new and unique way. However, in the case of this record, The Royal We, from Atlanta punks Seagulls, I'm not able to do that. The press information brands this as "mid-tempo, gravelly pop-punk", and, well, there's simply no other way to describe The Royal We. It's thoroughly mid-tempo, extremely gravelly, and definitely pop-punk.
It's also a pretty decent release. It's simple in the extreme, relying on plenty of gang vocals, crashing cymbal, and deeply guttural roars from vocalist Steve. The vocals are one of the aspects which do set the band apart from gravelly-pop-punk peers such as Red City Radio in that they're slightly deeper, and almost more in the vein of the Dropkick Murphys as opposed to the lighter roars the aforementioned RCR employ.
The EP is kicked off by The Implication, which opens in a fairly generic pop-punk style with added distortion, before the listener is smashed in the face by slabs of jagged, aggressive guitar. Waves of crashing cymbals follow, with Steve's roars actually providing some softer, almost soothing respite from the assault of the song. It's a very jagged and aggressive song on first listen; but, listen more and more and you begin to see how well crafted it is. It all flows together beautifully and melds into a track which, while not necessarily catchy enough to be singing in your head weeks after, definitely grabs you by your lapels and drags you head-first into the whirling skirmish of it's sound.
Darryl Strawberry Fields Forever (I've no idea, either), is a more melodic track, one without the jagged edge the EP opener has. For me it's a better track and one which catches your ears a lot more. It stands out from the rest of the EP with it's classically punk chorus. It's quite a long track at over 3 and a half minutes, but it doesn't feel that. It suits the 'mid-tempo' perfectly, not sounding hurried or overly aggressive. It's a uniquely mellow yet brooding song and one which does make Seagulls stand out.
As I earlier stated, it could be said that Seagulls' vocal is closer to the Dropkick Murphys than anything else: and, indeed, if you added a sprinkling of Celt to third track Close One, you'd be hard pressed to tell the two bands apart. It's another really good track, and one which sounds pretty jubilant, and slightly more up-tempo, yet retains the gravelly toughness which is Seagulls' trademark.
F.F.M. is a delightfully aggressive two minute storm, and probably the best track on the album. The vocals are nearly spat out, while the guitar and drums are so much darker and more in-your-face than the rest of the record. The chorus is a masterpiece, offering a stunning, pure-punk edge. Clearly taking hardcore influences, it's the real essence of punk, this, and a good one to get a party started.
The Royal We closes with Santa's Little Helper, a bit of a tribute song to Steve's dog and nan, who passed away in quick succession. There is certainly a slightly more sombre tone for sure, and works well with the deeper vocal.
All in all, this is a strong and unique record which shows Seagulls have significant potential.
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