From the powerful opening salvo of ‘Beautiful/Dangerous’ and its driving beat, Indie Rockers Royal Blood come to mind. As well as the sonic similarities, Liverpool based Rival Bones are also a duo, with James Whitehouse on guitar and vocal duties and Chris Thomason on drums.
Strangefruit (Ayla Records) is the Liverpudlian twosome’s second EP and it continues where their 2017 self-titled debut EP left off, raucous Indie Rock that blends the noise of Royal Blood with the power of Audioslave.
‘Tie So Tight’ demonstrates this with an explosive guitar and drum combo and James Whitehouse’s impassioned vocals, which are not too dissimilar to Dave Grohl. ‘Pull Me Under’ and ‘Hot Blooded’ round off the EP in much the same manner, concise blasts of Indie with plenty of oomph.
Coming in at just over 13 minutes this four track ep whizzes by in a flurry of fuzzy riffs and pounding drums, showing signs of promise despite the fact you have heard this many times before. Short, sharp and energetic, they just need a few more hooks and an extra something – like the cowbell and subtle undercurrent of synth in standout track ‘Beautiful/Dangerous’ – to add texture and elevate them above the crowd.
6.0/10
THOMAS THROWER