''The Bastards'' is the third studio album by Canadian-American rock band
Palaye Royale
Palaye Royale is a Canadian-American rock band from Las Vegas, formed in 2008 by brothers Remington Leith, Sebastian Danzig, and Emerson Barrett. The brothers' true surname is Kropp; each one's stage moniker makes use of their respective middle ...
''The Bastards'' was recorded in several different locations, including studios in London, England and
Joshua Tree, California
Joshua Tree is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Bernardino County, California, San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 7,414 at the 2010 census. At approximately above sea level, Joshua Tree and its surrounding c ...
. Five songs were released as singles with videos before the album was completed: "Lonely", "Massacre, The New American Dream", "Hang on to Yourself", "Fucking with My Head", and "Nervous Breakdown".
''The Bastards'' has been described as a
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
about a formerly expressive society that has been subdued by toxic politics. The songs are divided into four acts describing different eras in the hypothetical society's history. Lyrical topics include mental health, drug addiction, and gun violence. The album's lyrics are more socially-oriented than on the band's previous albums, and proceeds from the single "Massacre, The New American Dream" were donated to gun violence advocacy charities. Guitarist Sebastian Danzig explained that the opening track "Little Bastards" sets up the lyrics of the rest of the album: "The vulnerability, the truth and the aggression all wrapped together in a three and a half minute track which will set the listener up for what is to come for the next 14 tracks and what corners we will touch."
The album is connected to a graphic novel called ''The Bastards Vol. 1'', which was released in December 2020, with art by drummer Emerson Barrett. Videos from the album were based on imagery from a previous graphic novel by Barrett called ''Neutopian''.
Critical reception
''The Bastards'' has received generally positive reviews from the rock press. According to ''
Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
'', the album shows that Palaye Royale "have successfully carved out their own niche of glitzy yet gritty rock'n'roll that dares you to deny them," but also noted that some songs with string sections and other enhancements sound "overwrought". ''New Noise'' describes the album as "Heavy, yes, but also tender, expressive, painful, and lovely all rolled into a bombastic presentation of emotion and musical perfection." ''
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound (also called the Spector Sound) is a music production formula developed by American record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios, in the 1960s, with assistance from engineer Larry Levine and the conglomerate of session m ...
'' praised the album for combining "emo pop sensibilities with a rock-and-roll essence that is rare in today’s musical landscape."
''
Classic Rock
Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...
'' magazine noted a lack of subtlety on the album, while it "creaks beneath the huge weight of expectation and its own loud and lavish, hard-edged pop production values" but still concluded that the album represents "a spectacular evolution" in the band's sound. ''Dead Press'' criticized a few songs for being uneven but concluded that the album "sees Palaye Royale take another step towards the perfect blend of experimentalism and commercialism." ''Distorted Sound'' described the album favorably as "a modern twist of indie-pop/pop-rock that for the first time unearths the band's bold political takes with intrinsically punk values weaved throughout."
Track listing
Note: "Lord of Lies" is a bonus track on some editions of the album.
Personnel
* Remington Leith – lead vocals
* Sebastian Danzig – guitar, keyboards
* Emerson Barrett – drums, piano