Yet it fails to fire on some counts.
Over their past four albums, Southampton’s Band of Skulls have barely put a foot wrong. Their fifth album Love Is All You Love prolongs the momentum – another rip-roaring affair with plenty of catchy hooks, singalong moments and heavy drums to appease their loyal fans. Yet there are a few songs that fail to fire.
Opening song ‘Carnivorous’ is one of the songs that has potential but doesn’t quite deliver. Whereas ‘That’s My Trouble’ sees Band of Skulls at their absolute best – fast-paced, vocalists Russell Marsden and Emma Richardson share the vocals to wonderful effect. Title track, ‘Love Is All You Love’, is a little slower and less frantic, yet it’s catchy and Richardson’s backing vocals in the chorus are almost ethereal.
‘Not The Kind Of Nothing I Know’ would be a good choice of song to play for someone getting their first taste of the rockers. Using both singers to great effect, it’s an earworm that conjures raucous riffs that won’t leave your head. ‘Cool Your Battles’ is much slower but one of the best tracks on the album – Marsden and Richardson harmonise with tremendous success.
Forgiving a couple of songs that miss the mark, Love Is All You Love is another release from a band who, at this point of their career, know how to write quality album after quality album.
