The King’s Parade – How Long? (2020)
Truth be told, I am unsure as to what categories to place music in nowadays. With the fusion of so many sounds in a single song, I find it difficult to decide between dream-pop and indie-pop. Where is the line between pop-rock and pop-punk? Can alt-rock also fall into the label of indie-rock? Not only is it difficult to distinguish a single genre, but the fact that bands transition from one style to the other isn’t making it any easier.
Forget my ramblings, I’m here to introduce you to a genre-defying group known as The King’s Parade. Based in London, UK, this quartet blend yesteryear’s soul with modern alt-rock. Think of Hozier meets Janis Joplin with Snow Patrol and Tame Impala bringing up the rear. Yes, alright, I know Janis Joplin is a female and The King’s Parade is male-fronted…it’s just the attitude and style we’re talking about.
A follow-up to their well-received track ‘Mario’, ‘How Long?’ moves away from the energetic soul sound to a more contemporary alternative rock vibe. Still extremely captivating, ‘How Long?’ is melodic, endearing and intriguing despite the poignant lyrics. Building a sense of nostalgia, The King’s Parade touch on issues of regret, longing for better days but with an underlying sense of optimism. Basically, the group are taking an insightful look at memories and wishing for those better days; however, they do acknowledge that better days exist in the future as well as the past.
Lyrically, the song has a raw honesty and sincere nature; however, it is the weaving of powerful instrumentation with dynamic vocals that enhance the sentimentality of the song. Melding catchy guitar riffs with a steady drumbeat, sonically ‘How Long?’ is a head-bopping tune that is easy to listen to. It is the warm, bold and completely effortless vocals that make ‘How Long?’ strikingly mesmerising.
‘How Long?’ is the second track from their upcoming album and has been supported by the likes of Tom Robinson (BBC 6 Radio). The group has also released a homemade music video for the track which can be viewed here.
For more from The King’s Parade, check out their official website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Spotify.
