THE EP
Encapsulating post-pandemic restlessness in a way none of us knew we needed, ‘His Lordship’s’ newest EP ‘All Cranked Up’ boots into the scene with the ease of a cryogenically frozen rock god, who enters with a simple “Honey, I’m home!”. It becomes clear that the two-piece rock band, composed of guitarist James Walbourne (The Pretenders, The Pogues, The Rails) and drummer Kristoffer Sonne (Chrissie Hynde, Willie Nelson) have earned the flaunt of stylistic versatility when comparing their works throughout the year. While their first EP, ‘His Lordship Play Rock’n’Roll, Vol. One’ has a rockabilly tone with twanging, bluesy riffs and soulful vocals, ‘All Cranked Up’ has a far punkier, UK kick to it. A prime example of this is the pure riot of its single ‘All Cranked Up’ which dramatises the great, universal itch of needing to burst out and do something big, but the night has just moved on to sickening chaos. Better said in the words of Walbourne himself, ‘All Cranked Up’ is when: “It’s 5am. All cranked up with nowhere to go. Here we are again. Jerry Lee Lewis and Iggy Pop wrestling in the hallway. Englebert Humperdink trying to break things up. Little Richard swinging on a chandelier, laughing. Through the haze I get up to make a cup of tea and trip on an overflowing ashtray. The music is loud, the options are few. I’m all cranked up with nowhere to go.”
‘The Repenter’ creates breathing room and a sense of ascension in ear blessingharmonies, followed by the continued “restless itch” in bass-heavy ‘I’m so Bored of Being Bored’, which rises tension between the second and fith tracks: ‘I Live in the City’ and ‘I Am in Amsterdam’, both of which having an intoxicating million mph energy. ‘I Am in Amsterdam’ in particular has this punchy immersion about it, made to shout and stamp around to. The EP ends with a perfect final chapter, ‘Swinging Brick’, which, while more stripped down, feels (in my best mate’s words) “more like a ‘dot dot dot’ than a full stop”. Couldn’t have said it better my friend. Overall, ‘His Lordship’ provides a pure, burning love letter to rock in all its forms, with ‘All Cranked Up’ being a refreshing and exciting addition to the saga. Can’t wait to see what’s next on the horizon…
THE GIG
Last Thursday, ‘His Lordship’ took their UK tour to London’s 100 Club, with an electrifying set, featuring their new EP: ‘All Cranked Up’. Now available to stream on all platforms, the project gave a nostalgic homage to classic rock, but come on, Lazy, you’ll have to see the review for more on that. The venue, being intimately lit and, quite literally, underground, became a portal to a timeless era of rock with a sense of closeness between the band and their audience: a colourful, eclectic crowd who packed the place, skin to skin.
[Scarlett Taylor She/Her]
Image credits [ http://www.prbpresents.com/his-lordship/ ]
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