Palaye Royale
Boom Boom Room
(Sumerian Records)
The year is 2016, yet one listen to Palaye Royale’s debut record, Boom Boom Room, and you’ll be transported back to the golden age of the 1970s. Surprisingly signed to the primarily metal-based Sumerian Records, Palaye Royale successfully rings in the old school sounds of bands like The Doors, The Rolling Stones, Velvet Underground, Iggy Pop and The New York Dolls without sounding cliché or gimmicky.
There’s a strange balance of high-paced rock ‘n’ roll with toned back blues jams painting a contemporary face to the sounds the prior generation grew up with. Opening with their single “Don’t Feel Quite Right,” Palaye Royale set the scene for the rest of the record. With heavy distortion, a solid guitar solo, and biting punk lyrics that sting even more for their simplicity (“I’m not a fan of you/I’m not a fan of you at all”), this track could easily spin on the radio as a hit regardless of its grittier influences.
From a ‘60s dad-rock vibe (“My Youth Generation”) to surf rock riffs (“Good Morning, How Do You Do?”) to quasi-ballads (“Too Many People”), Palaye Royale highlight a multitude of musical tropes all while up keeping their hard-hitting attitude and bluesy instrumentals. Vocalist Remington Leith carries the record with his scratchy, yet sharply pitched vocals (“Rag Doll,” “Warhol”) while guitarist Sebastian Danzig revives attention-grabbing riffs (“Mr. Doctor Man”) and solos (“All My Friends”) that seem to have faded from the music scene years ago.
It’s refreshing to hear a band so caught up in the older moments of rock while staying integrated into the current metal and punk scene, as Palaye Royale has chosen to do through signing with Sumerian Records. Tracks like “Where Is The Boom?” and “Live Like We Want To” could easily have been part of the New York music scene in 1979 and pick up seamlessly where that scene left off with their use of instrumentals—high-hats are skillfully prominent. Even the drum fills and isolated vocals set these tracks apart, not only from the record in general, but from contemporary rock of today.
Boom Boom Room falls short in very few places. When Palaye Royale decide to turn down, the record drags a little. “Clockwork” is lackluster and marks the only moment on the album when a riff reminiscent of another era feels a bit too contrived. “Ma Cherie,” too, gives off a strange vibe mainly due to the guest vocals added by Kellin Quinn. His vocals are far too feminine in comparison to Leith’s and therefore sound more like a love duet than a collaboration.
For a debut record, Palaye Royale have definitely shown their song writing prowess and their knowledge of the history of rock ‘n’ roll. While they don’t seem to draw influences from modern day bands like My Chemical Romance or Asking Alexandria like the majority of Sumerian Records’ artists, they do show that they have a strong foothold in the scene by resurrecting a sound that tends to be forgotten in this generation. (Natasha Van Duser)
Purchase Boom Boom Room here: Physical | iTunes
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