Three Kings High – ‘They Think They’re People’.
Three Kings High – Bristol, England, United Kingdom.
The city of Bristol is a musical hub offering gratuitous amounts diversity. Now, obviously I’m not talking about musicals in the sense of some sleazey Broadway rip off that just so happens to be in Bristol and having had too many Old Bristolians is now presently lost. Rather I am talking of something else where the only part of the prior sentence relevant is the sleazy part.
Three Kings High are that very sleaze, an eclectic brew of playful modern Indie music, Funk, Blues Rock and even rhythmic Rap-esque verses and rhythms. The band formed in 2011 and have quite an impressive run of it thus far in regard to their digital, CD and pressed vinyl releases with two EPs, a number of singles and now two albums under their belt.
What am I talking about? Well, They Think They’re People was released via Donut Records back in September 2016 and although standing at mini-album status with its eight tracks, it would be foolish to doubt it.
‘Nowhere Fast’ is playful American Blues Rock with a familiar yet welcome contemporary lashing of British Indie Rock, carrying a satisfying hint and a faster more energetic sound beyond the erratic dancing you’re already doing.
Well I am anyway. ‘Go Love Yourself’ also carries this movement inducing groove in strong continuity with the band’s previous releases. The band’s status as a six piece provides substantial room for subtle layers and experimentation and with that the danceable Electric Six vibe is driven further.
The more “dance” oriented Pop-driven sound is something of a mild departure from the previous releases but thankfully doesn’t break away from the roots of Three Kings High enough to be an issue.
Normality so to speak is restored with ‘Shine’, with an interesting contrast between the again americanised vocals of the chorus’ and the more English sounding verses surrounding them. Stylistically speaking it’s very well polished like the release in general but still carries a playful sleaze regardless.
‘Margins’ is the track I’d been waiting for. It breaks the chain by showing the band at their most dulcet and bluesy but also teases you with heavier sections of guitar-work that you hope aren’t a one time offer.
‘Going To Hell’ wastes no time in its opening distortion and much like it’s predecessor boasts a contrasting set of male-to-female lead to backing vocals that act as a real highlight. The band have been compared to the likes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and with glimpses of the staples’ early to mid career heard here, you can’t complain.
Although the playful approach is well received by this stage on the release, the contrasting softer-to-harder direction the album has taken in many ways prevents it from infringing on banality and repetition.
‘Digging Up Dirt’ is the embodiment of the band’s heavier tendencies and strikes me as a track that would not only play well live but must have also been an enjoyable one in its original composition. The bluesy reverb reminds you (yes you… well – me) of MF features mr. phlyzz on one hand but with the back and forth between faster vocals and their bluesy grandparents you can’t help think of Cage The Elephant.
They Think They’re People ends strongly but not in the way I was expecting. ‘You Don’t Know Me’ is sonically tight in its flirtations Garage-Pop sound but after the strength-to-strength build up of the previous tracks you can’t help but feel the album should have ended on ‘Digging Up Dirt’, with ‘You Don’t Know Me’ sat mid album instead.
They Think They’re People is however, despite the previous criticisms, a very strong album from a band that have a craft they commit to fully. It’s lyrically entertaining and induces such physical gyration via its musical stylistic that it’s almost as if you’re exercising…
Find the band and their music below:
- For updates, head to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and their Official Website.
- The bands music, across all platforms can be found via iTunes, Spotify, Deezer, Google Play, bandcamp and SoundCloud.
- Donut Record can be found via Facebook and Twitter.
#StayFresh
