Band Of Skulls debut record is one of the most exciting and compelling discs to come across my desk as of late. The 12 tracks on Baby Darling Doll Face Honey show influences of Led Zeppelin and sludgy blues rock that would almost certainly appeal to fans of The White Stripes and The Black Keys.
Think of Band Of Skulls as guitar-heavy indie rock with two vocalists (Russell Marsden and Emma Richardson) sharing singing duties. The trio of tracks that open the record (“Light Of The Morning”, “Death By Diamonds and Pearls” and “I Know What I Am”) are catchy in the deadliest sense of the word and sets the mood for what can be expected over the remainder of the album. Marsden’s vocals can be as reminiscent of Robert Plant as they can of Jack White; Richardson’s vocals waver between the delicate on tracks like “Honest” while also sounding very much like Chrissie Hynde at other times.
This record is a delightful slice of retro-inspired rock. Check this out!