Royal Bangs
‘Let It Beep’
(City Slang)

Bands are brilliant these days at adopting entirely ridiculous monikers that have no relation to anything – Royal Bangs would have been far more accurate naming themselves ‘Hey Kids, Are You Ready For Party ’O’ Clock?!’ if second album ‘Let It Beep’’s twelve slabs of awesome are anything to go by. From the opening pulsing, synth-ridden bassline of ‘War Bells’, Royal Bangs successfully merge glitchy electronics and epic dance-along indie with exceptional panache; ‘My Car Is Haunted’ slinks along like a ludicrously cool, Americanised Friendly Fires, whilst the amazingly-titled ‘Tiny Prince Of Keytar’ is all the woozygoodness of an acid-fried scrap between Beck and The Strokes. Euphoric, anthemic but decidedly wonky at the same time, ‘Let It Beep’ manages to be both refreshingly innovative and instantly loveable in one gloriously manic bundle.

Lisa Wright