‘Smashing through every earworm with rock and roll attitude, it’s hard to turn down a listen.’
Intro to Come at the King
London-based rock trio Come at The King have just released their second studio EP ‘Take To The Streets’. Made up of Max (Guitar, Vocals), Cal (Drums) and Laurence (Bass), they are inspired greatly by the likes of Oasis and Arctic Monkeys, but take influence from blues, garage rock and the classic Britpop scene as well. Produced by Max Hopwood at London Road Studios, and mastered by Philip Marsden, the EP sees them try to find the poetry in the mundane life of working-class towns in the shadow of big cities. And, thankfully for us, with it touching on the pursuit of romance, the tragic lives and small-mindedness of big egos, and the unconditional admiration and respect of where you grew up, ‘Take to the Streets’ really does have it all.
EP Review
Drawing influence from the likes of The White Stripes, Oasis, The Charlatans and The Stone Roses, it is hard to turn down a listen. Bedded on blues-infused sounds of early 00’s garage rock and the 90’s Britpop scene, this four-track EP is coming in hard. Crashing through big riffs and monumental choruses, it’s a classic barrel of grit and dynamic, perfect to sing along to with your arms out wide. Rather than throwing up smoke and mirrors though, ‘Come at the King’ strip down to the basics, thriving in the classic simplicity of a good song.
Despite the repetitiveness of opener ‘Back Around’, it is near impossible to tire from hearing it. You are given time to fully appreciate the depth of the bass below, the gnarly grit of the electric guitar too. In fact, you will only be tired out by the energy you are expelling from your enjoyment of it! Pushing this through into ‘Uniform’, the appropriately bare snare set marching beat which lies at the heart of it, plugs into the slick steely riffs perfectly. Together with moments for era-centric guitar solos to break through, it really demands attention from the get-go.
Taking these influences further, ‘In My Place’ really basks in Oasis glory. More like an ode to Liam and Noel than an original, it’s a fusion of time-keeping rhythms, scratchy guitars and raw vocals. That said, even if aren’t an Oasis fan, don’t let that put you off as highlighting a genre that will never be obsolete, it should get a room on their feet in seconds. It has to be said that for some, these three tracks may leave you wanting a little more. However, for those of you who want a little more immediately, closing track ‘Overgrown’ – with its refreshing changes of direction – highlights the personality of the trio wonderfully.
Feature by Harriet Heywood
