Local Album Review // Royek // Oranges in Alaska
4.25/5 stars
Beautifully filled with infectious energy and introspection, the debut full-length from Royek is an album worth repeating. The local indie-rock quintet has been active for a few years now, having released a three-song demo in the summer of 2024. This record clocks in at 29 minutes over seven tracks, a quick listen with a King of the Hill reference to boot. The band's namesake, bassist and vocalist Matt Royek, is joined by guitarists Kevin Coatoam and Eric Larson, keyboardist Jessica Larson, and drummer Jon Teater. The opening track "Mind/Body/Soul" starts things off lightly, and continually ramps up until the passionate chorus of "In Your Back Pocket." The picked bass intro of "Home Movies We'll Never Make" is gorgeous, underscoring more uptempo complaint rock you can dance to. Things shift gears with Coatoam's "Into the Storm," a bluesy 6/8 scorcher. "32nd Annual Apology Tour" is probably my personal favorite, embodying the lyrical alt-rock central to the band, and containing maybe the greatest local guitar solo I've heard recorded. Larson and Coatoam's guitar work over the record serves as an overall highlight, with some real moments of vocal brilliance from Royek (fervently shown on tracks like "Moon") abounding. The closer "All In" plays like a Ted Leo banger, with some smoking guitar solo tradeoffs.
