Artist: Rroyce
Title: Dreams & Doubts & Fears
Genre: Synth Pop
Release Date: 28th March 2014
Label: Self released
Album Review
German three-piece RROYCE are new to the Synth Pop trough, and only played their first gig in January of last year. Their debut album is self-produced and distributed, a DIY ethic that is to be applauded as it becomes more and more of a struggle to be noticed, let alone picked up by a label and offered something as quaint as, say, money. Can they cut it, in a genre that seems to squeeze itself so tight at times it’s like watching fish drown? It’s fair to say, ‘Dreams & Doubts & Fears’ has its moments, and for a debut, it’s certainly determined.
‘Over and Over’ is a nice start, twinkly, clean synths and a vocal awash with echo and melancholy, it would play out nicely in a festival field somewhere, just as the sun is setting. Less successful is ‘Hide Behind’ which sounds forcefully abrasive and struggles to find the hooks and melody it craves. Things get nicely odd on the bouncy finger-wag of ‘…But You Lied’, a deliriously camp romp through eastern-tinged synths and circus-ring madness. One problem, and it’s an oft-repeated gripe, is that if you are going to sound like someone, you need to be at least as good as them. And there are COVENANT moments scattered about throughout this album (see ‘Bohemian Life’) that neither have the inventiveness nor solid song-writing confidence yet to match such pioneers. But ambition is a good thing so let’s not be too grumpy here.
‘Thank You I’m Scared’ for example, is hard not to like as it bubbles along prettily, and ‘Fat Man Dancing’ is perhaps unintentionally hilarious, but has a chorus so insanely good you’ll be singing along to the fat man like a football fan after an incredible goal. And there’s more of the same for the remainder of the album. A bit hit and miss at times, as on ‘Dance!’, which is more of a plod until it’s kicked up the arse in time for the chorus, and ‘Run Run Run’ which is a cliché too far lyrically. And as the maudlin piano holds final song ‘Sky Is The Limit’ in it’s cold, sad grip, the feeling is that this is an almost-song, so many elements of it are working hard to create something truly special, but it’s just not quite got there yet.
There’s a lot of promise here. It’s clear RROYCE don’t want to be just another synth band, and their ambition at times allows a glimpse of what may lie ahead. Getting more live shows under their belts will certainly help. And with growing confidence and a tightened, refined sound, they could just make that step up and leave the drowning fish and the copyists far behind.
Tracklist
01. Over and Over
02. Hide Behind
03. …But You Lied
04. Malacoda
05. Thank You, I’m Scared
06. Nimmermehr
07. Fat Man Dancing
08. Bohemian Life
09. The One
10. Dance!
11. Run Run Run
12. Sky Is The Limit
Line-up
Casi - Vocals
Kay - Compositions, Programming, Visuals
Andre - Guitar
Website
https://www.facebook.com/RROYCE.official / http://www.rroyce.de
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 8
Total: 7.5 / 10
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