Royel Otis – ‘Pratts and Pain’ album review: a waste of talent
THE SKINNY: Royel Otis hail from Australia, although they wrote and recorded Pratts and Pain over in England with the help of iconic producer Dan Carey, who has worked with a range of successful artists from Black Midi to Fontaine’s D.C.
Despite being in seemingly safe hands, Royel Otis, a duo made up of Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddell, have created a lacklustre debut album that never seems to go far enough. The tracks are largely forgettable, an inevitable addition to a landmine of average indie pop records that have emerged over recent years with a penchant for the sound of the early 2010s.
If you’re really into indie pop, then you might find something to appreciate here, such as nostalgic guitar chords and peppy percussion, but overall, the album feels like it is missing a special spark to bring it all together. Interestingly, Pavlovic states that “if you play songs with reverb and synths, they can become a bit washed out,” yet the best songs on the album are the ones that utilise these artificial sounds. Everything else leaves me desperately trying not to use the word ‘jangly’.
Royel Otis are undoubtedly talented musicians, yet their skill feels wasted here, and a menagerie of unimaginative lyrics fails to act as a saving grace. Perhaps in a few years’ time, the duo will find a more distinctive and unique sound, but for now, Pratts and Pain doesn’t bring anything new to the table.
For Fans Of: Soft psychedelia, mumbling, and jorts paired with those Old Skool Vans.
A concluding comment: “Albums like these could be infinitely improved if the members spent more time refining their ability to write interesting, meaningful lyrics.”
Pratts and Pain track-by-track:
‘Adored’: The album starts somewhat strong, with techniques that make the band sound like they’ve temporarily been dunked underwater and an earworm-y, melodic chorus. [3/5]
‘Fried Rice’: The band opens each chorus with the lines, ”My blankets soaked, my headaches gone/ So come on Eileen.” The band claim they often write their lyrics together at the pub – they must have had one too many when writing this one. [2.5/5]
‘Foam’: The song gets infinitely better every time the singing stops, with the percussive-heavy instrumentation making for enjoyable listening. The same thing can’t be said for the uninspired, monotonous vocal delivery of odd lines like “Help/ When your beak is full of ketamine.” [2/5]
‘Sonic Blue’: The song starts out promising, with a fast-paced beat driving the track into an interesting instrumental landscape. Unfortunately, the boring vocals let the otherwise sonically impressive track down. [3/5]
‘Heading For The Door’: This just made me wish I was listening to Duster’s song of the same name instead. The synths give the song a slightly different feel to other cuts on the album, but it fails to walk outside the bounds of generic indie pop territory. [2.5/5]
‘Velvet’: When the best part of the song is the drums – courtesy of an 11-year-old – maybe you should reconsider what you’re doing. The shouted vocals of “My baby says she needs a lawyer/ My baby said I can’t afford her” are incredibly annoying. [2/5]
‘IHYSM’: Standing for ‘I hate you so much’, the song sees the band spout some angsty lyrics over a catchy beat, with the vocal performance feeling slightly more impassioned this time. [3/5]
‘Molly’: Taking a darker and more brooding tone, this song makes for a welcome switch-up from the upbeat summery indie that has come before. This feels like a real progression. [3/5]
‘Daisy Chain’: And now we’re back to upbeat indie pop, although a prominent bassline dominates this one. The chorus is reminiscent of the early 2010s, inspiring a sense of nostalgia for a time that really wasn’t that long ago. [3/5]
‘Sofa King’: Hearing the band mumble “you’re so fucking gorgeous” over a bland sonic palette sent a cringe-induced shiver down my spine. [2/5]
‘Glory to Glory’: While there is nothing overwhelmingly special to point out, the song is a harmless summery tune. [2.5/5]
‘Always Always’: There is something bittersweet about this song – there is a slight sadness in the vocal delivery that accompanies the gentle guitars very well. [3/5]
‘Big Ciggie’: Slightly more jaggedy guitars soundtrack this one, and there’s a playful energy emanating from the vocals, but the track doesn’t really go anywhere. [2.5/5]
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