About Sound

It’s a bit of a strange one, Joe Kelly & The Royal Pharmacy. On the one hand, he/they have seemingly been around for years (their first single Babylon dates back to 2017), but on the other hand, the debut album has, until now, eluded the Newport singer and his backing band.

But I’m not really interested on the coulda, woulda, shoulda, as it is pretty much irrelevant. The album is here, much to the bands joy, and (by their own admission), relief. And by god it’s good.

Good is in all honestly doing the album an injustice, but that is probably the last time I am going to play it down in this review. I’ll be candid, it’s pretty much impossible for me to be objective about a band I know so well and of songs I love, songs I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of hearing for longer than most.

I started this review with the intention of it being a short, sharp, snappy piece, full of insight and light on waste. Seeing that we’re already four paragraphs in and I’m yet to mention the name of the album, this notion has long left the building. If you do want to stop reading and move STRAIGHT TO GO, please do. I’ve got the click, so I’ve already won. However, if you’d like to read my unashamedly biased review, teetering on the edge of sycophancy, please carry on and find out what I’ve got to say about World On Fire, the debut album by Joe Kelly & The Royal Pharmacy.

The album starts brightly, as you may suspect with a song called Amber Glow; keys player Jon Greening and guitarist Chris Vinnicombe entwined as they are for much of the record, as if they were meant to be. “Looks like you’re up to your old tricks again, this time I guess it’s my mistake” opens Kelly, an early hint that a bit of drama is never too far away, perhaps also an admission of guilt, albeit with some reluctance.

The high octane start continues with the soaring There You Go Again. Rich in melody, it’s a song that effortlessly shifts through the gears, peaking with a solo from Chris, a guitarist who makes every note count, seemingly without getting out of second gear, such is his assuredness and proficiency.

The eerie, shuddering Old House gives us the chance to catch our breath, before the energy is regained for the album’s title track (video above). With its wind in the hair, The War On Drugs-like summer breeziness, it summarises how we collectively feel about the last few years “all I did was close my eyes, hope that you would pass me by, I awoke to find the world on fire”.

The foot stomping, anguish inducing Slowdeath shows a darker side of the band, whilst The Beast, one of the bands older songs, sees them joined by long term friend and collaborator Bryony Sier, offering her unique vocals to the most country song on the album.

In theory, this album has no right to sound anywhere near as cohesive as it does. These songs were written, recorded, produced and mastered in different circumstances, different mindsets and different countries. The fact that they do gel so well, must in no small part be attributed to the skills of Jon Greening.

Jon joined the band full time 2019 and was unquestionably the final piece of the Royal Pharmacy puzzle, adding an extra dimension both in the studio and live to an already astute four-piece, including bassist Niall Davey and former drummer (and now visual artist) Dom Castree.

And with that, to highlight the influence of the producer is The Neighbours. With its piano intro, steady build up and call to arms like chorus it is a summer festival anthem in waiting, lighter phone torch pointed skywards. I’ve done that strikethrough gag before and it wasn’t funny the first time.

As with many of the songs that comprise the album, On My Way has a cinematic feel and wouldn’t feel out of place soundtracking a Western. At a shade over 2 and a half minutes, it is the shortest song on the album, packed full to the brim with punch and gusto.

Long time live favourite Kingsroad demonstrates Joe’s innate ability to not only tell a story, but to bring it to life and make the listener feel part of it. Often the conclusion to the band’s live shows, it would’ve been perfectly reasonable to close the album on this high, however Joe is seasoned and hardened enough to know that after the highs invariably come the lows, and thus the melancholic acoustic/harmonica driven Sixty Six sees out the album.

Spacey and haunting, Joe fittingly finishes rather with the longing line “the road is steep, the path is long, leads me back where I belong”, a nod perhaps to the many winding and often arduous roads travelled, both metaphorically and literally to the release of this debut. Where Joe belongs could figuratively be anywhere, but from a more literal perspective, he is most at ease on stage with his harmonica and guitar, backed up by his trusty Royal Pharmacy, singing songs penned from the heart to an emotionally engaged audience.

After a testing few years, the monkey is now well and truly off their back and Joe Kelly & The Royal Pharmacy can now enjoy the joy of success that will inevitably come their way both in the immediate and longer futures. Second album syndrome? Not for this band, that’ll be a doddle!

World On Fire is out now on Dirty Carrot Records. It is available on all the usual streaming sites, but also available on CD on Bandcamp, where you can purchase it with a limited-edition World On Fire t-shirt.