GRANDE ROYALE – Take It Easy

Sweden’s Grande Royale describe their music as rooted “…in the early 70’s rock scene of Detroit and the 90’s rock scene in Scandinavia, mixed up with some vintage pop. The music is straight forward rock’n’roll packed with electric guitars, melodic vocals and thundering bass lines.”  They state the “…fourth studio full-length, speaks the universal language of rock and mixes things up by adding brass or soul choirs to the guitar filled music.”

“Bring It Up” is a big production leveraging a jazzy saxophone and poppy female backing vocals in an overextended attempt at hit single. “Out Of Gas” follows with a strongly mixed vocal performance that sounds a bit shrill and desperate.  The effect is exacerbated by a poor mix which smothers the earnest guitar work.  Both songs fail to show the band at their best.

Fortunately, the album starts to hit its stride with “Hands Up”, an easy-going song featuring a female lead vocalist.  It’s at its best when it degenerates into a sloppy duet propelled by tight riffs and a big chorus presenting a sound honest enough to earn a second listen.  A quick turn into the down home riffs of “Sweet Livin’” maintains the momentum. The blues guitar musing and lyrical counterpoints combine to complete another highlight song.  “Cogitator” employs a melodic chorus and an up-tempo bridge in contrast to the laid back vibe.  While the rest of songs don’t match these song-writing heights, they provide a complementary listening experience in step with the loose pop and blues niche where the band does its best work. Nowhere is this vibe more prevalent than on “Baby You’re A Fool” a fluffy pop number featuring a muttering blues guitar which occasionally steps up to dominate the conversation.

Take It Easy is largely successful in delivering songs with strong pop sensibilities tempered with an instinctual sense of when to interject biting blues riffs to maintain a soulful identity.  It’s an easy listening cocktail of Hard Rock, Pop and Blues that is eclectic enough to be compared with Rival Sons.

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TRACKLIST (Highlights: 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10)

1. Bring It Up (3:32)
2. Out Of Gas (3:23)
3. Hands Up (4:16)
4. Sweet Livin’ (4:09)
5. Cogitator (3:11)
6. Decelerate (2:53)
7. Ms. Sunshine (2:42)
8. Baby You’re A Fool (3:54)
9. Going Strong (3:29)
10. Standing In My Way (3:58)
11. On And On (3:46)

LINEUP

Andreas Jenå – Guitar
Gustav Wremer – Guitar / Vocals
Johan Häll – Drums
Samuel Georgsson – Bass