Album Details

• Artist: Band Of Skulls
• Album: Sweet Sour
• Label: Vagrant
• Year of Release: 2012
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: hstisgod on 2012-02-05

Media

Something has been missing all these years and its Band Of Skulls. Having enjoyed a few tracks from their debut release Baby Darling Doll Face Honey, I heavily underestimated what this English band would become. Now on my third listen of the day, and sixth overall, I can't stay away from this recording. The first three tracks have hooks that brand themselves in your head, so stimulating, my seven-month old was keeping up with the hooks. 

Some of the most prestine moments of this release are the breaks, bridges and cuts. So phenomenal, track two, "Bruises", has an exquisitely sharp and hard edge. "Lay My Head Down" slices up a warm slice of their sound and feeds it gently. "The Devil Takes Care Of His Own" has a groove-laden funk and grunge about it. Fits well for those fans of White Stripes. Then of course, there's the lead single. That signature BOS confidence and energy peels through each bar. "Sweet-Sour/Sour by the minute/But you're sweeter by the hour". Top it off with a full session of five-star guitar solo mirroring that of Zep or Floyd. "You're Not Pretty But You Got It Goin' On" has this massive bees buzzing backbone and a near Muse/Radiohead feel as the song nears it's finality.

Songs like "Navigate" nail down the softer-side of Band Of Skulls. At the same time, very up-tempo, melodramatic, nearly Americana-like Emma Richardson at a sultry pace. "Hometowns" picks up where "Navigate" left off, but "Lies" revisits the funk of "Sweet Sour", the lead single. Quite truthfully, what surprised me is just how clean and tactfully slow these cats can be. A carefulness that is not common, nearly like a Radiohead-type patience in the closer "Close to Nowhere".

Punk-flavor, progressive tempo's and a consistent song structure flowing from melodic Acoustica to grungy Metal in clean production. To call the last BOS album diverse, is an understatement. To say the Band Of Skulls have matured onto an unbeaten path of Hybrid Rock is now a foregone conclusion. This is the first 5 out of 5 that I've handed out in quite some time. Simply put, I am refreshed.... And I want everyone else to feel the same. My only regret, is not having waited longer to write this review, because I'm certain I'll be back with more "Wanderluster".

Use the linkclips on the left to preview... 

User Reviews and Comments