Review: The King Blues – The Gospel Truth

The King Blues have always been a band that can surprise you. Just when you think what their next step is that carpet is pulled right from under your feet.

The Gospel Truth is no exception to this rule. Looking back to the previous EP Off With Their Heads (2016), which was a mixed bag of poetry, punk and acoustic noises, The Gospel Truth takes another step in a different direction.

When I interviewed Itch (TKB front man/singer/ukulele) he said that the band didn’t want to release the same thing over and over again, and boy they haven’t!

Opening with The Truth, The Whole Truth, the new album kicks off with a selection of the fan uploads which tell the story of their past year, how life has changed for them for better or for worse. The theme of truth continues throughout the whole album (clue is in the title), and it is honest, brutally so.

We still get some cracking singalong anthems like The Bullingdon Boys which takes aim at the rich and elite in such spectacular fashion. We also get Heart of a Lion which is a punky defiance against being put down and coming out the other end with some fight in you, something I am sure everyone has felt at some point.

This album  has lyrics, songs, which you can relate to and that is the real beauty of this fast-paced punk album. Considering its the first full album in five years from the band, they have made a fucking amazing return to form.

Other songs like Nike Town put a spotlight on the consumerist society we currently live in, beautifully poetic (something you can expect out of Itch and the gang). As does New Gods, which speaks as a commentary on celebrity culture and the way we are heading.

One of my personal highlights (it took me a while to decide on just one to pick out) is the fantastic America Don’t Want Me Anymore. A song which seems to carry a message of not belonging: “The USA don’t want me on the scene. The UK thinks I’m a hasbeen.” It is meaningful and it is powerful, in fact, the whole album is and that is why within the space of a couple days it has found its way onto the charts, something you may not expect for music of its type.

Looking back to the way the band has evolved since songs like The Streets Are Ours, Headbutt, My Boulder, and Save The World Get The Girl, the new album feels like just another positive step in their career, a step that needed to be taken and one that will pay off forever.

In case you didn’t know, the lads are touring. I am going to catch them on Monday (April 24) at The Haunt in Brighton, and I cannot bloody wait!

This isn’t mainstream, this isn’t endorsed by big stars and brands, this is punk, this is poetry, this is The King Blues and this is the way music should be.