Palaye Royale have a look that’s Rolling Stones hitting the Sunset Strip and describe themselves as ‘fashion art-rock’ – but don’t let this put you off. Though their chiselled faces are destined to appear on posters on bedroom wall of many a teen, there’s substance beneath the surface.
The Canadian-born three-piece might now be based in Las Vegas, but their sound closely emulates that of noughties Britain: the jaunty indie pop of the tracks on their debut will appeal to anyone who had Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs on their stereo. Palaye throw some garage and glam into the mix too, and the result is a collection of highly polished rock songs right from the rollicking opener Don’t Feel Quite Right, that would get even the grumpiest grouch on the dance floor and would also slot in perfectly on the stages at Reading and Leeds festivals.
At 15 songs the album length may test some attention spans, but it’s a seriously strong debut.
