Royal Republic summed up in two sentences. A line on the title track: “Life is a party and you go to bed, you’ll be asleep while your friend’s getting head.”
Sorted.
It takes less than 20 seconds for album number five’s opener “My House” to kick off “Love Cop” in the perfect rock disco – imagine a world where Night Flight Orchestra really liked Donna Summer.
I am a recent convert to the majesty of Electric 6 and it’s predicated on the fact that everyone kept saying “If you like Royal Republic, you must listen to Electric 6” and come the title track you can’t fail to notice the synergy.
If this is a “Love Cop” then it’s the one from the Village People, but my goodness the lead guitar from Hannes Irengård shreds and it’s made for the live arena (word deliberate because those are the stages it wants).
When you boil it down to brass tacks, if we borrow a phrase from Brett Michaels (and why not seeing as the brilliant “Wow! Wow! Wow!” borrows from “Uptown Funk”) then Royal Republic are dangerous, high voltage and all the rest but they really just want nothin’ but a good time. In the 80s, Obviously. As if to prove it, “Freakshow” is almost wearing shoulder pads.
“Lazerlove” dusts off its Def Leppard records (I do that too, to be fair) for a ballad of “Hysteria” levels of bombast (probably because it wants a slow dance) “Boots” – and its liberal use of cowbell – suits them better. “I wanna do it again” sings Adam Grahn. Do what? Who knows, just give them more, more more.
Royal Republic, though, for all the fun and knockabout stuff, are the best at what they do and deadly serious about the music. “Love Somebody” is a glorious, timeless rock n roll boogie and if you can resist “Ain’t Got Time” then you’re a better man than me. The falsetto vocal alone is worth it.
“Electra” is superbly done pop music – not too far from Duran Duran, but it almost needed to end with some disco-tinged hedonism. “Sha-La-La Lady” doesn’t so much do “tinged” rather it gets its spandex on and goes to Studio 54 to “kiss your mother on the mouth”. The Bee Gees ain’t got nothing on this.
There are two schools of thought when it comes to music (both are equally valid). You can document the world around you, and Lord knows there’s enough material) or you can make something that for 40 minutes puts smiles on faces and cheers everyone up.
That’s what Royal Republic are for, and this album shines it in neon. This “Love Cop” has pink, furry handcuffs and as for the truncheon, don’t ask.
Rating 9/10
