Reigning Days are currently on the rise, and there’s a completely logical reason for that. Anyone who’s heard them will have probably realised that the Devonshire trio sound like a certain Brighton duo (here’s a clue – they’re royal and bloody), but they’re certainly not mere copycats, and for a debut EP, there’s already plenty of potential on show.
For a better description of Reigning Day’s sound, they’re reminiscent of the non-existent embryonic stage of Royal Blood between inception and stardom. Thick, bluesy riff ‘n’ roll forms the basis of their sound, but there are certain flairs that set them apart where Royal Blood can sometimes feel slightly one-dimensional. Closer Crazy Horse is possibly the best example of this, with its hazy, washed-out vocals and thumping drums that slither along with a captivating seediness.
This is perhaps the best example of what Reigning Days can achieve when at their most inventive, but the rest of this EP prove them to be an incredibly solid straight-up rock band. Empire coasts by on thunderous, bluesy grooves and an absolutely mountainous chorus, while Renegade is a lot more smoothly built in its springy but still suitably meaty chorus. For a band who doesn’t do a whole lot in the way of huge innovations, they’ve got plenty of strong, already mainstream-worthy traits, and bar a few clunky moments in Friendly Fire, these four tracks are pretty solid across the board.
It’s definitely a good indication of the direction that Reigning Days are heading in. They’re growing themselves as a band in the best, most natural way possible – establishing a core sound on a debut EP before presumably honing that sound later on down the line for something a lot grander. As an EP, it offers enough evidence for why to keep a close eye on Reigning Days in the future, and for exactly why you’ll be hearing a lot more of the name sooner than later.
7/10
For fans of: Royal Blood, Beasts, Queens Of The Stone Age
Words by Luke Nuttall
‘Reigning Days’ by Reigning Days is released on 3rd June.
