There’s an art to simplicity, and Sweden’s Royal Republic are naturals in this respect.
Weekend Man is the four-piece’s third album and is stuffed with straightforward, pumping rock’n’roll anthems with bands like Supersuckers as signposts. With guitarist Hannes Irengård chopping out the rhythms, and Adam Grahn offering the vocal punch, the band never let up, steaming in with fiery Here I Come (There You Go) and Walk!, and building from there. Like all the best bands of this type, Royal Republic sound like they’ve strolled into the studio, plugged in and just gone for one take.
The freshness and thrust on Uh Huh and Any Given Sunday is undeniable, the boys never messing around, while keeping the pace at a scorching level. Every track is quickfire, with no extended virtuosity, just a case of getting in, making a mark and moving on.
In this respect, the album is old school, climaxing with the gyrating_ American Dream_, as Royal Republic nod respectfully towards The Hellacopters. The style is throwaway, but you’ll keep coming back.
