Few albums manage to feel as consistently single-laden as How Did We Get So Dark? and fewer manage to do it with such a consistent sound to them. Royal Blood pushes themselves unbelievably hard on this amazing record to make sure they’re not just known as a cool breakout band.
Here on second album ‘How Did We Get So Dark?’, we welcome another 40 minutes of Royal Blood exploring their home turf on 10 shamelessly melodic rock monsters that hit home like a nail gun to the eardrum.
‘How Did We Get So Dark?’ is one hell of a beast; but while their first outing had as much subtlety as a whack around the face, this time they’ve born a more considered - but sinister - creature.
'How Did We Get So Dark?' is unlikely to win over critics who prefer their licks raw and vocals scratchy. There's nothing Real with a capital 'R' here, it's a record intended for garnering groupies, not scathingly disassembling modern life.
How Did We Get So Dark? has plenty of appeal, possibly just edging the debut, and is the sound of a band enjoying their niche, but how long that can last has to be the concern here.
It lacks the same amount of truly great songs their debut offered. Still, there are few bands that can match Royal Blood at their heavy, melodic best, and How Did We Get So Dark? proves to be a thrilling - if limited - listen from one of the UK’s fastest-rising rock bands.
It sees the band move forward from, and in many ways improve upon, what they were already good at, with a few – mostly worthwhile – new ideas thrown in for good measure. On the other hand, what evolution we do get is minimal and not quite enough to fully justify the less anthemic tone of the album.
How Did We Get So Dark? is a big, grown-up rock album with all the riffs and compositional disappearing down rabbit holes we've come to yearn for from Royal Blood, but there are several songs here that are also primed for radio.
Despite how thunderous Thatcher sounds behind the drums or how dirty Kerr's bass tone is, unfortunately there isn't a pedal for more robust and compelling songwriting. That said, you'll probably be headbanging too much to care.
Royal Blood’s energies here are expended not on expansive outreach but intensive simplicity: any added layers simply buttress the basic riffs of tracks.
The duo hurl everything at them – harmonies, killer bass sounds, presumably the studio’s kitchen sink – but the tunes aren’t nearly as strong as, say, the first album’s Ten Tonne Skeleton.
The debut pt 2 but not as good sorta
I think this album is just another bunch of solid tracks. It’s not perfect, with some of the back end feeling a little bit lackluster, but I mean we still got catchy, hard hitting bangers here. The title track is extremely catchy. Lights Out is a very solid song overall. I Only Lie When I Love You might be my favorite Royal Blood song. ITS JUST SO TIGHT and it goes so hard. That ending riff gets me going lol. Those are the main standouts though. The ... read more
While the writing is something to be desired, Royal Blood provide yet another solid record in their ever growing hard rock, fun as hell, catchy and all in all great discography.
Favorite jams: How Did We Get So Dark, Hook, Line & Sinker, Where Are You Know?
Lest Favorite: Don't Tell
EDIT: There was a moment in time where I didn't know what Lightning Bolt or Death from Above was. This is the effect of not knowing those things.
A really solid followup to their self titled album, and one of my favorites from 2017, even if it doesn’t quite live up to the quality of the classic that was their first album.
Fav Tracks: Sleep, Lights Out, Hook Line And Sinker, She's Creeping, Hole In Your Heart
Least Favorite Tracks: Look Like You Know
How Did We Get So Dark? - 9/10⭐
Lights Out - 10/10⭐
I Only Lie When I Love You - 9.5/10⭐
She's Creeping - 7/10
Look Like You Know - 9/10⭐
Where Are You Now? - 8/10
Don't Tell - 7.5/10
Hook, Like & Sinker - 10/10⭐
Hole in Your Heart - 7.5/10
Sleep - 7.5/10
Basically the same review as their first album. Slightly cleaner production but also a few more interesting tracks. Not really much to say that hasn't been said about their debut
1 | How Did We Get So Dark? 3:17 | 93 |
2 | Lights Out 3:56 | 75 |
3 | I Only Lie When I Love You 2:49 | 75 |
4 | She's Creeping 3:23 | 58 |
5 | Look Like You Know 3:05 | 75 |
6 | Where Are You Now? 2:46 | 65 |
7 | Don't Tell 3:38 | 70 |
8 | Hook, Line & Sinker 3:27 | 77 |
9 | Hole in Your Heart 3:46 | 85 |
10 | Sleep 4:16 | 83 |
#20 | / | Kerrang |
#25 | / | Classic Rock Magazine |
#28 | / | Louder Than War |
#38 | / | Rough Trade |
#96 | / | Fopp |