[rating=8.00]
On their latest record, Himalayan, the Band of Skulls, now with three albums on the shelf, continue sewing the thread of what has made both Baby Darling Doll Face Honey and Sweet Sour widely accepted records: dark tempered songwriting, the ability to quickly reveal an aggressive edge and the openness to unite vocal styles that traditionally wouldn’t be found sharing a drink together. There’s a degree of getaway villain and calculated evil house-of-mirrors in the sound that is produced on these songs. On this record, the U.K.-based trio continues to show strength in songwriting and their ability to mine a different shade of darkness from their sound.
“How can I stop when nothing is enough,” bassist and singer Emma Richardson questions the plot character in “Cold Sweat;” the haunting song provides listeners with a feeling that they’re being patiently watched all throughout. The song sharply switches gears from a slow tempo bruised ballad in and out of schizophrenic segues. On “Nightmares,” guitarist and singer Russell Marsden asks, “If I die tomorrow, would you be upset, or would you be the one coming to get me,” a track that brings enough light into the middle section of the record to keep you from being completely consumed.
Balancing the more melancholy and lighter textures on Himalayan, the band offers up “You Are All That I Am Not” and “Get Yourself Together;” both take a consoling approach in the music. These songs, quite different from their heavy and piercing contrasting style, have just as big of magnitude but provide the listener with a bit more faith in humanity. Quite the opposite of “Heaven’s Key,” where a harmonizing lyric questions the listener once more by asking “Are you looking in hell for heaven’s key,” which may be the most accurate description of what realm this record can be found in. This song is followed up by an unmatched climax on “I Feel Like Ten Men, Nine Dead and One Dying,” where the band devilishly convinces you to enter into an alleyway in the opening section of the song, only to quickly turn on you in defiance, providing the listener with no way of escaping.
Himalayan is an extension of the rich foundation that make up the Band of Skulls’ sound, and it’s an equation that has yielded quality work throughout their career thus far. Their willingness to stretch within the operating formula allows each member to tighten their skills as writers and musicians. To best summarize, Himalayan is a record that you’ll love to fear listening to in the dark.
