I like punk music, and I like the UK, so it was only natural that I fell in love with The King Blues’ most recent album “Save The World, Get The Girl.” The bouncy rhythms and great song writing put forth by the relatively young punk band make for some catchy and memorable songs. If you’re a fan of modern punk music then you’ll be hard pressed to find an album that sounds this good.

The King Blues is a punk band from London formed in 2004 as a two piece ska arrangement. The band has since obtained large scale success, playing premier slots on big shows and obtaining a recording contract with Universal Music. “Save The World, Get The Girl” is the band’s second CD, and has 11 tracks.

The opening track “My Boulder” is an upbeat pop/punk song with a catchy Rancid-like chorus. Right away it’s apparent that the lead singer “Itch” was influenced  heavily by Joe Strummer, the deceased frontman of The Clash. They keep the energy going with the second song, “I Got Love.” It’s a simple song with a great chorus and fun lyrics. The band seems to have found the perfect balance between mainstream writing and punk writing.

I was very impressed with the depth of the album and how well it is structured. Notable tracks, such as “Let’s Hang The Landlord” and “Underneath This Lamppost Light” balance out with the other songs and maintain the momentum of the album quite well. There are a lot of great songs on here, and I really couldn’t find even one that I didn’t like.

As far as production is concerned, The King Blues has knocked it out of the park. The loose, old-school mixing approach helps convey the sense of innocence in the songs. This makes it easy to see just how great the songs really are. Instrumentally it’s obvious that there is a lot of talent here. The rhythm section is tight and well done.  Bongos, creative drum beats, and bouncing bass lines help keep the groove down while Itch belts out his lyrics.

Musical influences on the album stretch much further then I would have expected. There are hints of western pop, ballroom swing, and reggae scatted here and there. The lyrics make the spread between everything from love, to perspective on war and other government affairs. It all comes together nicely, and the song selection is varied enough to keep you from getting bored or weary of the CD.

As usual, I listened to the CD several times using a variety of different playback devices. This includes car speakers, earbuds, a surround sound system and studio headphones. It’s safe to say that the CD sounds great no matter where you listen to it. The only minor complaint I could make is that the vocals are a bit muddied in some songs, but this is a very minor issue.

Final Words:

It’s fun, simple, and genuinely one  of the most entertaining albums I have heard in years. Whether you’re looking for an easy to listen to punk album, or something deeper, The King Blues definitely deliver. There are wonderfully arranged instrumental tracks, beautiful harmonica melodies, and brutally straight-forward lyrics. Honestly I don’t know what more I could ask for. I will be keeping this CD on my playlist for a long time to come, and will keep my eyes on their future work.

Score: 9.0/10 (Outstanding)