Royal Bliss Life in Between
by John Kindred
Staff Writer
Royal Bliss birthed into existence in ’97 in Salt Lake City, Utah. They have released six albums prior to ’09’s Life In-Between , and the band’s success has been on a regional level, touring the West Coast and on occasion traveling to Illinois and Texas. After hard fought struggles, bad luck and life happening around them, Capitol Music Group signed Royal Bliss courtesy of then CEO Jason Flom in ‘07.
Their first release on Capital Records, Life In-Between, showcases a mature AOR band that incorporates a modern rock vibe. Radio viable, the band’s music would be considered accessible and listenable, especially for fans of bands like Matchbox 20, Collective Soul, etc. The label released “Save Me” as the lead single in July of ‘08s which was later followed up by the video in October.
Life In-Between is loaded with 12 songs. With keen sense to write great lyrics and catchy hooks the band showcases their talent with nearly 40 minutes of music. The band is led by Neal Middleton, whose voice scratches with grit similar to Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20) and Danny Beissel (Fosterchild). Richards and Harding man the guitars and provide a fine balance of distorted riffs, fills and subtle textures while bassist Jake Smith and Tommy Gunn hold it all together.
Emotionally driven songs bring this release to life. The band’s life experiences pour out on Life In-Between whether from Middleton’s soulful voice or the instrumentation of each song. The band balances harder edgy numbers like the opening song “Save Me” with slower emotive numbers like “By & By” or “I Don’t Mind.”
No matter what the pace of the music, the band never loses their melodic touch or the ability to create rich atmospheric textures. The vocals are highlight on Life In-Between. The harmony vocal melodies help fill out each song and embellish Middleton’s lead vocals.
At some time in your life, musically you grow up … Royal Bliss is the type of band that you gravitate to when that change in your life comes.
Label: Capitol Records
Band:
Neal Middleton – lead vocals, guitar
Taylor Richards – guitar
Chris Harding – guitar
Jake Smith – drums
Tommy Gunn – bass guitar
Track Listing:
1. Save Me
2. Here They Come
3. Devils & Angels
4. Pocket Of Dreams
5. Finally Figured Out
6. We Did Nothing Wrong
7. By & By
8. Wash It All Away
9. Whiskey
10. Fancy Things
11. I Don’t Mind
12. I Was Drunk
HRH rating: 8.3/10