ALBUM REVIEW: The Bastards – Palaye Royale

The latest offering from Canadian-American art-rock outfit PALAYE ROYALE is a playfully ingenious homage to the beloved years of 70s rock, bursting at the seams with a modern twist of indie-pop/pop-rock that for the first time unearths the band’s bold political takes with intrinsically punk values weaved throughout. Their third studio album, The Bastards, could be somewhat described as the embodiment of sex, drugs, and rock and roll for modern times.

Following up from their two-part album saga Boom Boom Room, The Bastards steps away from their quirky, unusual aesthetic that seemed like a Mick Jagger revival emulated in their 2018 sophomore addition Boom Boom Room Side B. Trading out its flirtation with happy pop and commercial rock for a grittier and loosely punk-inspired side of the rock, The Bastards is rough around the edges with the likes of Nervous Breakdown and Massacre, The American Dream scratching the undying itch for rock and metal nostalgia.

This album bodies itself as something of a 90s-action movie soundtrack, coincidentally it lends a hand to the action thriller franchise American Satan and Paradise City, which is essentially a rock and roll biopic for every and any band that existed in the 70s to 80s.

Interestingly, the way it plays into its influences strays away from any generic or mostly boorish classic rock tributes out there. Whilst tracks like Massacre, The American Dream and Nervous Breakdown have those mouth-watering guitar riffs matched with an ecstatic tempo that gives faint memories to the likes of MÖTLEY CRÜE, not every song relies on a fast-paced rhythm to keep audiences engaged. Masochist feels like a more strategically composed rock song that, unlike the crescendos at the end of Anxiety, Little Bastards and Massacre, The American Dream, Masochist’s climaxes are softly drawn out to create an even swifter, unexpected blow when the song does kick in. Doom (Empty) is another track that feels like a distant influence from 90s grunge in the blaring bass that carries the song to its gloomy ending. But the softer pop-inspired choruses give these rugged songs a vivacious and even sassy attitude that makes them more ‘radio-friendly’ and sustainable in modern times. Highlights of this are the layered harmonies at the beginning of Little Bastards that border being almost jovial and give the song some character.

Their lyrical counterpart and influences behind the album are another shining accomplishment for this band, offering a range of lyrical takes from Massacre, The American Dream tackling gun violence in America to Lonely, that brings a deeply personal side to the album. Vocals etch themselves into every nook and cranny of this album, fans and critics alike might consider this Remington Leith’s best display of his expansive vocal range to date. Even tracks that wouldn’t be considered to be as ‘heavy’ are given that rugged feel because of the vocal breakthroughs, such as Black Sheep and Lonely.

The Bastards is an open window of vulnerability rarely seen in their earlier works, tracks like Stay, Anxiety, and Fucking With My Head peel back to grasp the coarse emotional depth of the band. Though, how they carry this out is something to be commended – instead of playing to the obvious typecast of sad songs, there’s a clear effort to create versatility within the sadness. Ranging from the soulful, moving ballad of Tonight Is The Night I Die to the chaotic pace of Anxiety that one might argue it representative to anxiety can make you feel of being all over the place. These aren’t your ‘typical’ sad song of an album that tends to wash over you, it’s a variety; like one big emotional rollercoaster.

PALAYE ROYALE has cultivated a career from taking artistic liberties and in most cases, it’s a phenomenal ballpark swing. The only downfalls of this album are when those swings are a miss, though few far between there are instances where things become tiresome. This album almost seems to be sectioned into acts or volumes, which leaves little room for the unexpected when songs of similar nature are grouped together i.e. the album starts with three high-energy tracks but ends on three slower, earnest songs that fail to envoke any surprise. In particular, the opening track Little Bastards especially falls to this fate leaving much left to be desired as it only escalates in its last-minute that feels like a foot in the wrong direction for the pinnacle song of this album.

Overall, The Bastards is a rowdy, fun, and outrageous collection of songs that give PALAYE ROYALE the unnerving edge they’ve been on the brink of for a while.

Rating: 8/10

The Bastards is set for release on May 29th via Sumerian Records.

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