Reckoning is the first experience that listeners will have with The Colours of Kings’ new album, The Truth is in Me. The track blends in equal amounts electronic and alt rock, touching upon the style of the Goo Goo Dolls and Dishwalla while bringing in bits of U2 and Owl City. A more wondrous sound continues into Fight the Future, where the band utilizes the X-Files as a frame of reference. With bits of dusty soundscapes and an industrial / Nine Inch Nails sort of vocal delivery, The Colours of Kings are able to have another hit on their hands.
Questions for Clyde Bruckman is an effort that refreshes the Brit-pop of the mid-1990s with just a hint of Vertical Horizon. The vocals sit above the track, shining brightly as the bit of fuzzy guitar work and drum beats make for a stable jumping-off point. Monster of the Week’s percussion is the first thing listeners will happen upon with the cut, before The Colours of Kings drop the momentum a bit and adopt a style that builds off of Smash Mouth, The Newsboys and even Se A Vida E-era Pet Shop Boys. The Truth is in Me ends with two “volumes” of All Things. The tracks can be enjoyed on their own, but have a wholly different feel when one plays the efforts as a cohesive entity. The slower, more deliberate sound of the first part of All Things is allowed to meander in the concluding part. Fans are sent off with strings in the same realm of a Bittersweet Symphony. The bit of pop-facing vocals that are present in this final track provide a different context to The Colours of Kings than previously experienced. This has the effect of ending the album as emphatically as it began.
Top Tracks: Fight the Future, Questions for Clyde Bruckman, Monster of the Week
Rating: 8.1/10
The Colours of Kings – The Truth is in Me / Domain / Bandcamp