They met in a plane crash! They learned to play in the swamps of Uruguay! Not much is known about the true origins of Fires of Rome but regardless of how it all happened, they have recorded what is sure to be one of next year’s most enthralling and captivating debuts. On You Kingdom You, Andrew Wyatt, Matt Kranz, and Gunnar make the kind of sound that embodies everything that is exciting about music today: uncategorizable, anthemic, and daring.
The heartbreaking “Dawn Lament” kicks off the album with its keyboard drone, military beat, and a guitar that sounds like horn stabs. The driving beat and riff descend into a frail piano melody and rise back up. These adventurous song structures abound in You Kingdom You. “Set in Stone” thick funk bass and Chic-like guitar build up to a soaring chorus sung in a shimmering falsetto. “Songs As Yet Unsung” has a punk ferocity with glam rock sheen that dares you to attempt remaining still. The T. Rex stomp and seductive vocal of “But You’re Such a Cherry” illustrate the song’s tale of coming on to someone younger.
The kaleidoscopic nature of You Kingdom You makes repeated listening reveal new layers and melodies. The album is as lyrically diverse as it is musically. Amid the tales of lost love and the apple of your eye are songs to rally workers to escape the drudgery of office life and to inspire listeners to take down all that oppresses us. Fires of Rome have made an album of the highest quality at a time when the album is an endangered species. Listen to it beginning to end and then do it again, this is one of the few new artists who can captivate you for ten songs and leave you wanting more.
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