There’s not much more satisfying in rock n roll than a brilliant three piece band. Nothing sounds better balanced.
Unless, of course it’s a band on their debut. Then we can all get very excited indeed.
So let’s do just that, then as King Falcon’s debut deserves it.
There’s a wonderful juxtaposition here, noy just in the music, which has a bit of everything and sounds like nothing.
Thats true right from the wonderful opener, “Everybody Down” “I fought a war with my bedroom mirror” sings Michael Rubin (and you can bet he won). Its interesting too that they are from Queens, the same place aa Hollis Brown. Now, like HB New York bands tend to be a melting pot, the guitar on this is stunning, yet there’s a soul.
And the drums and bass on “Ready Set Go” have a similar garage vibe to The Hives, and there’s a proper rock n roll spirit.
That flavour is all over the glorious “Cadillac” where the hooks are filthy and for all the disco sauce, it’s 3am and desperately wants to go home with something, anything.
The bass on this album is a thing of beauty. Royal Blood fans need to get to “Set Me Free” and mention of Kerr and Thatcher is deliberate because King Falcon might similarly explode.
“Rabbit Gets The Gun” is a genuine highlight. Distilling all that’s superb about this – the strut, the lipcurl, the hooks – into one three minute package.
Indeed, at 31 minutes and 11 songs, there’s a feel that King Falcon are the masters of the three minute dont-bore-us-get-to-the-chorus format.
So much so, you don’t even really notice the lyrics. “I know you only get one life, but I’d only waste it on a dead end anyway” sings Rubin (who if you want to feel old got into music because of Guitar Hero…..) on “Soul Sucker” and indeed so hedonistic does “Ride” sound, you wonder how it has so much self doubt in its words.
As if to prove my theory about NYC bands, being a real melting pot, then there’s a funk feel to “My Name Is”.
“Touch” wants a good time “I just need to feel something” it goes, and it might just mean it, to be honest.
“On Your Soul” has a little at a Gaslight Anthem type solo, and it hints at a maturity that suggests longevity.
That’s true, too, of the blues tinges on the last one, “Go On”. These are not the fly-by-night sounds of a band with nothing to say, King Falcon mean it, and they’re here to stay.
And theyve got ambiton too. The record is made with the craftsmanship of producer Marshall Altman and mixing by the 12-time Grammy-nominated Mark Needham. It sounds top draw. It is top draw.
Yes it’s a debut and you shouldn’t burden a band with expectations and all that, but “King Falcon” is brilliant and the band of the same name sound so confident that they’ll embrace the adulation.
Rating 9/10
