Kingswood – Microscopic Wars (2014)

[spoiler]Anyone who’s seen Kingswood live knows exactly how one of their shows go. Balls-out, high-energy, non-stop rock and roll. They’re a pleasure to watch and to move your hips to. Lead singer Fergus Linacre’s voice and dance moves will get you moving, while Alex Laska and his guitar will make you weak at the knees. Somehow, the band have managed to put all of that together and capture it on Microscopic Wars.

‘Too Much’ is a great opener, it shows you what to expect from the album, giving you plenty to look forward to. It’s over quickly, and moves right into the huge hit ‘Sucker Punch’. The slow and steady build throughout the verse gets to breaking point at the chorus and the guitar riff coupled with Linacre’s scream hits you in the face. This is a song to sing from the middle of a moshpit with your arms in the air.

Latest single ‘I Can Feel That You Don’t Love Me’ takes it down a notch and gives Laska a go on lead vocals. The guitar riff is sexy as hell; there’s a clear blues influence on this track. The slide guitar between the chorus and the verse gives it a much more sensual feeling than the other tracks on the album, and the bass line works perfectly with the guitar solo towards the end. Linacre’s back-up vocals complete this song, and it’s one of the best on the album.

Another blues-inspired song ‘So Long’ gives the band another chance to take things slowly. The song starts with a simple melody, played on keys and guitar, before building up and getting heavier as it goes. Linacre’s high-pitched, drawn out vocals give this track a sense of mourning.

The single everyone knows (or should know because it’s fucking amazing), ‘Ohio’, makes my mouth water with its long, face-melting slide guitar solos, Linacre’s vocal range and the speaking part “I packed up my artefacts, I’m leaving in December,” in the middle of the song. How could you not enjoy this track? The enticing “you should stay a little longer,” hook should be enough to win anyone over.

Another notable moment on an album full of them is ‘Tremor’ – another blues-inspired, genre-mixing track that features distorted guitar, keys and Linacre’s best high-pitched wail. It’s so damn catchy with its jaunty drum line, and the words “As we danced among the people, drinking whiskey with The Beatles” will get stuck in your head for days. Definitely a standout track.

‘Eye of the Storm’ is the closest thing to a ballad, starting purely with keys and vocals and slowly bringing in other instruments as it goes. The song layers slowly and then unleashes another, face-melting, slide guitar solo. The softer part of the song is enjoyable but the best part of the song is when all instruments are played together. Linacre’s vocals get a workout in this track, he shows off a huge range throughout.

I cannot say enough good things about this album. There’s moments of rock and roll, blues and ballads, even a bit of country, but at no point does it feel overdone or like it’s trying too hard.

Kingswood move between genres with ease, and make everything they do sound completely natural and effortless. Fergus Linacre’s vocals stand out in each track, especially the louder ‘She’s My Baby’ and ‘Ohio’ while the drumming and bass line hold everything together. But it’s Alex Laska’s guitar that makes this album. The distorted or slide solos and riffs he produces show off his talent and really prove that this is one of the best rock bands going around.

The production also needs to be mentioned. Each instrument stood out when it was needed, and the mix of Linacre’s and Laska’s vocals was done perfectly. Every song had the right blend between instruments and vocals, and it was done consistently throughout.

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