Sweet Sour is the work of Russell Marsden, Matthew Hayward, and Emma Richardson, the individuals that make up Band Of Skulls. The group is native to the UK and they initially gained notoriety on the country’s local scene—though at this point, their music is well-known internationally. The well-versed lyrics and wistful pitch of the Russell Marsden make this record the envied vocal epitome of the alternative rock genre. A perfect example of this is on the album opener, “Sweet Sour.”
Their sophomore record, Sweet Sour, is full of guitars that stay prominent and consistently great until the last track. “Wanderluster” is a very catchy tune that seems to be blues influenced, but Band Of Skulls succeeds in making this genre their own within this song. While the vocals are respectable, the guitars often take things to the next level, as they dip into slightly heavier territory. Profoundly good guitar riffs dominate the track “The Devil Takes Care Of His Own,” which, before its end, becomes the perfect rock club anthem. Simultaneously, it is obvious that this group has some serious indie influences. “Lay My Head Down” pauses the speed of this album initially, but takes an awesomely dark turn toward the song’s end, eventually mellowing out for a smooth finish.
The diversity of Sweet Sour is remarkable because of how well done every deviation from the expected whole of the record pans out. Band Of Skulls is making their own path and the group is doing a phenomenal job of doing it in their own way. This is an exciting album that should be considered a top-notch piece of art and one can absolutely expect that there are great things to come in the future of this trio.
