Between their debut album
Litanies and its follow-up
Better Luck Next Life,
Royal Baths moved from San Francisco to New York, but the musical distance they traversed was even greater. Feeling constrained by Frisco's garage rock scene, Jeremy Cox and Jigmae Baer try a more expansive approach here, stretching out their songs and putting more emphasis on their guitar work.
Royal Baths' singing and playing have grown significantly since their debut. The sneering love song "Darling Divine" and aptly named fiery guitar workout "Burned" are more successful examples of the band's new style, while some of
Better Luck Next Life's poppier moments end up being most memorable: "Black Sheep"'s clever lyrical and vocal interplay advances the promise the band showed on
Litanies, and the swampy closer "Someone New" displays a more developed sense of tension and release. ~ Heather Phares