Rival Empire has created a style with their self-titled album that ties together the eighties with the current day. The band links together acts like Chromeo, Good Charlotte, and Cash Cash into something that is eminently catchy and fun. Cameo Crush builds off of a Michael Jackson hook and spins things faster, giving listeners a track that hangs with current EDM.
Casino draws heavily on the new wave movement of the early eighties, while twinkling instrumentation ensure that listeners keep focused on Rival Empire’s compositions. Calling Me inserts a healthy dose of rock music to the electronic styles broached through this eponymous album, providing Rival Empire with another tool to utilize in subsequent album cuts.
Good Love presents hints of reggae to fill out a very complex and intricate effort. The interplay between the percussion, vocals, and bass here keeps the momentum high while establishing a timeless quality to Rival Empire.
Few acts are able to touch upon some many distinct musical genres while creating a cohesive and coherent release, but Rival Empire’s self-titled release is focused, fun, and will be remembered by listeners long after the disc’s final strains complete. Reagan’s Rancho Del Cielo is a high energy effort that utilizes Reagan quotes with a goth-like set of vocals; listeners of all stripes will find something that they can appreciate with this composition. Call the Adapter slows things up to allow Rival Empire to showcase their constituent elements; the disparate sides of this track make it evident that listeners will never know precisely where the band will take them. Fans should be confident that the journey will be fantastic.
Top Tracks: Cameo Crush, Reagan’s Rancho Del Cielo
Rating: 9.0/10
Rival Empire Self-Titled CD Review / 2014 Self / 13 Tracks / http://www.rivalempire.com/ / https://twitter.com/hashtag/therivalempire