There’s nothing like a surprise. I hadn’t heard of the King’s Parade before last week, when I was told their Mad EP was coming on April 5th. I was taken completely off-guard. Now, I’ve got a new contender for favourite band of 2019. I haven’t heard this much vigour and character from a band in a long time. They’ve got a new fan, and I think you’ll become one as well.
All the songs have a similar feel and composition. A guitar and bass, some drums and some backing vocals. Nothing groundbreaking, but what they do with them is extraordinary. You can hear the soul in every strum of the strings, every hit of the drum skins. You can hear the performance. Passion leaks out of this EP, and it’s infectious.
‘Mad’ makes a statement of intent. It tells the story of someone second-guessing a love interest. It’s oozing soul. The singer is the stand-out of the track. I haven’t heard a male vocalist with such character and intensity in a long time. He sings every note like it could be his last, and with conviction. I was hooked.
‘Mistakes’ is where the backline shines through. They sound like they are completely in-sync. There are sudden pauses which tell you they’re on it. You can tell that they’ve spent time working on the composition and dynamics. They know when to play, and when not to play. It’s fantastic musicianship, and I’m rather jealous that I don’t play music the way they do.
‘20’ is playful, yet wistful. It’s a song about getting older. It’s got a beat to bop-along to, and lyrics to sing-along to. The song-writing stands out here. “I grew up in a day, just to find that I ran out of time.” What an opening line. The chorus is simpler, but infectious. You’ll be singing along in no time.
‘Good Excuse’ finishes off. It feels more spiritual than the rest. A rolling drumbeat keeps it moving along. Backing vocals and a spaced-out piano fill it with atmosphere. It’s a song about someone leaving town. It’s a nice spin on the sound they established in previous tracks, and a soulful note to end on.
The King’s Parade have this fantastic quality that I rarely see. They make their experiences into yours. I haven’t been in the situations they sing about, but the songs make me feel them. I believe it could be my heartbreak, my confusion or my coming-of-age. I sing along to feelings that I didn’t know were my own. That’s something any good songwriter should try to achieve, and I think it’s outstanding. What a mega EP.
Do yourself a favour, yeah? Give it a listen.
The new EP, Mad is out now – available on iTunes here.
The King’s Parade have announced the following tour dates to coincide with the release:
7th April – Siroco, Madrid
12th April – Razzmatazz, Barcelona
19th April – Le 1999, Paris
20th April – Paardcafe, The Hague
24th April – Borderline, London
26th April – Headrow House, Leeds
27th April – Marwood, Brighton
26th May – Weststadthalle, Essen
27th May – Nochtwache, Hamburg
29th May – Maze, Berlin
30th May – Zehner, Munich
