Black & White

Description

Black & White is the debut full-length album by the American pop/rock band Royal Tailor, released on Essential Records in June 2011, a label under Provident Label Group, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, distributed in the US by Provident Distribution. Featuring Tauren Wells on vocals and guitar, DJ Cox on guitar, Blake Hubbard on bass, and Jarrod Ingram on drums.

As the recent Cross Rhythms article told you, Houston’s Royal Tailor are one of the hottest new acts to emerge in US CCM for some time. Able to integrate a wide range of styles from R&B to pop to rock, the band make radio-friendly music of exceptional quality. The album might start quietly but do not be fooled as «Death Of Me» – looking at salvation and the changes it brings – quickly ramps up into a full on power pop song. The lyrics are well written with some great hooks, clever wordplay and are often very thought-provoking. «Control» particularly stands out with some memorable hooks and a bit of rap thrown into a quick fire look at how pop culture tries to take control and turns the tables by using lots of references to current pop songs and artists (including Lady Gaga) to make its point. With a great balance between the full on and the slower ballads, the production by Aaron Lindsey, Chuck Butler and Daniel Kinner is excellent throughout. There is some heavy use of effects to make the vocals fit beautifully into the soundscape but it never swamps them and the powerful words cut through clearly at all times. A welcome antidote for those who think that pop today is solely fixated with banal hedonism, ‘Black & White’ stands up well against most of what the mainstream has to offer. [Tim Holden, Cross Rhythms, July 2011]

> iTunes

CD tracklist:

01. Death Of Me – 3:42
02. Make A Move – 3:22
03. Freefall – 3:41
04. Control – 3:39
05. Gravity (Pulling Heaven Down) – 5:17
06. Hold Me Together – 3:22
07. Wannabe – 2:57
08. Black & White – 3:43
09. Run To Love – 3:31
10. Hope – 3:37
11. Love Is Here – 3:01

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