Royal is a Canadian independent recording artist who crosses genres combining dream, Electro and pop music for a unique sound. Today I’ll be reviewing her new album ‘Heart of Shadows’ which was released on November 2nd 2018. And if you want to find out more about Royal then check out this Interview I did with her as well.
‘Kings & Queens’ starts off with Royals vibrant and ethereal voice, and as you just listen and let the track wash over you, I feel at least like I’m floating. It’s not just Royals vocals with are beautiful but also the simple melodic undertone that helps to support her voice without overpowering it.
‘Vessel’ is another strong entry onto this album, her melancholic voice just grips you and you kind of get swept along in the tremendous pop vibe of the track. This track lets us hear multiple sides to Royals voice, the higher range notes mixed with the lower ones, well balanced and used for greatest effect.
‘Black Beauty’ I mentioned in the previous track that Royal balances up her vocals really well, this one starts off with a heavier, deeper vocal section, that flows perfectly into something a little lighter and overall it’s just one of those tracks you will remember. And it’s not just one thing that led me to that but instead just the overall incredible composition of the track.
‘Reminisce’ has a slow rising build that breaks into Royals wistful vocals that just pull at you and don’t let you go. I think of all the tracks on the album, this one connected with me the most and I just couldn’t stop listening to it.
‘The Hunter’ opens with slow, tentative piano chords that stretch out until broken by Royals powerful and tremendous voice that’s just a little heavier and darker than the previous tracks. You feel filled with this sense of urgency as you listen, and when the intensity of the singer resonates with you that clearly you know it’s a good track.
‘Rebel’ finishes off the album, and it does so expertly, like the previous track we open with gentle, piano chords that are allowed to fade away before joined by another but this track and the previous one are very different animals. This one doesn’t have any of the heaviness but it is weighted with all the feeling and emotion that Royal manages to pack into her tracks.
So that’s what I thought of Royal and her new album ‘Heart of Shadows’ which you can check out on Spotify. And if you want to support the artist then follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
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Off the Record 
I appreciate your interest in my travel blog. Ages ago when I was in college I did a record review column for the college paper. To give you an idea of how long ago that was I reviewed Neil Young’s ‘After The Goldrush’ when it first came out. I found Royal’s album on Spotify. She does have a soulful voice and a clean sound that showcases this instead of a lot of electronics. I’m always on the lookout for new music, so I’ll check out your recommendations. Good luck.
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Happy to check out your blog and thanks for the feedback. And I’m glad you liked her music, she’s super talented. Yeah feel free to have a look at anything that catches your eye 🙂 Hope you have a great day.
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