4Q Magazine

The Old Romantic Killer Band – The Swan With Two Necks (Review)

by Charlotte Morris on 17.09.10


The Old Romantic Killer Band follow in the footsteps of the rarity that is the two-piece rock band, such as The White Stripes and The Black Keys, with this emotional roller coaster of a bluesy rock and roll album.

Unfortunately, TORKB didn’t quite make it when they wanted to and they split up in January 2010. So this album is our sole memory of the band…

‘The Swan With Two Necks’ is a raw and energetic reminder of what could have been the next Black Keys. The album flits from the melodrama of a wrenching heartache to relaxed forgiveness and solace. The music itself is either very loud hearty rock and roll or comforting and chilled acoustic. And yet this bipolar style seems to fit TORKB very snug.

The opening track; ‘Girl, You Have All The Fun’ introduces the theme of love and being messed around. Harry’s vocals exude sheer passion throughout the album.
‘Your Girlfriend is a Drug Addict’ is a beachy, bluesy, acoustic track. Harry’s normally raspy rock vocals still sound exceptional for this acoustic song proving his versatility.

As with most albums, there are a couple you will always skip. ‘Things to Come’ and ‘The Resolve’, sound as if they’ve been done before by any generic rock and roll band, or you may have heard them played by your favourite local college band. This is disappointing after having heard ‘Girl, You Have All The Fun’ and ‘Your Girlfriend is a Drug Addict’, which prove TORKB’s talent.

‘You Knew I Had A Darkness In Me’ is another standout acoustic track. The acoustic songs on the album tend to stand out that bit extra as they sound more unique and poignant. This particular track tells the story of a man washing himself of his sins; the vocals become more and more hysterical along with the story telling while the guitar riff remains the same, which gives this particular track an incredible sense of passion.

The final track of the album; ‘Four Season Blues’ is the most bluesy song, ideal for ending the album on a high.

The non-polished, gritty-like sound of the production along with the simplicity of being a two-piece band has created a perfect combination to portray such raw emotion. In an auto-tuned society, the rawness of The Swan With Two Necks is just so beautiful.

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