Fashion-art rock band Palaye Royale shines with their latest album, Fever Dream out today via Sumerian Records. Promotional singles for the album began releasing summer 2021 with “No Love In LA” and “Punching Bag”, followed by “Broken”, and “Paranoid”, amongst other instant hits. Fever Dream was created in collaboration with Grammy-nominated producer Chris Greatti (YUNGBLUD, WILLOW) and features a 13-track list, taking time to sculpt each lavishly orchestrated track. On making the album Palaye Royale states, “Making this record felt like getting back to when we first fell in love with music. This record is very much about self-belief and self-empowerment, as well as overcoming obstacles all the obstacles that life throws at you.”
Presenting themselves with glam rock and art-punk aesthetic, Palaye Royale has earned a legion of cult-like fans with their fast-paced dirty rock n roll. As three brothers - Remington, Emerson and Sebastian - were bred in Las Vegas, they arrived into the Los Angeles music scene as teenagers, playing in basements and living out of their car, they’ve worked their asses off to be able to headline arenas around the world. Kicking off their 2022 with opening up for YUNGBLUD on his US tour + currently on their own Fall headlining tour, it’s obvious the band is back in full swing touring and content with pleasing fans live.
Fever Dream begins with a softly acoustic intro to “Eternal Life” with Remington’s ethereal vocals already kidnapping you into the world of Palaye Royale. Captivating piano sounds are soothing, but near the end of the intro, intense guitar riffs lift you to the next track already thrilling you. “Eternal Life” expresses sensual guitars and intertwines infectious lyrics - “Take me out of my mind and into the light/I wanna crawl away into eternal life.” Leading into “No Love In LA”, the overall melody captures the classic Palaye Royale sound and attitude with heavy basslines, fuzzy guitar tracks and memorable lyrics. Lyrics in the chorus - “The creeps are always posting their photos to show off what they’re hiding inside” - is a huge stab at social media and the fakeness of Hollywood. “Punching Bag” exclaims a huge stab to the media and industry highlighting feelings of being used for money - “Go ahead and mold me/Bought me and they sold me, I’m smiling upside down/Now I’m all used up, ready for my closeup/Am I prettier on the ground?”. Intertwining those infamous piano riffs with excessive guitars and contagious lyrics, “Punching Bag” sits as one of the most emotion-filled tracks on the album.
Traveling into a track that was written nearly three years ago, “Broken” possesses beautifully raw emotions throughout its entirety. The song kicks off with soft guitar strums and a low-fi vibe. Welcoming you into a song that’s filled with raw emotion, the chorus is a cry out for help that many of us can relate to. Remington states on the track, “In moments of darkness, it is crucial to find the light and grow into something even more beautiful. Being broken means you have the opportunity to piece yourself together into an even better person.” Featuring simple acoustics along with melodious harmonies, “Broken” will have you feeling some type of way.
Escapism is what we all genuinely crave at some point in our lives. For some of us, it’s every single day. For others, it’s every few weeks, months. Music is a huge escapism for tons of people. Music is able to reach parts of the brain that words can’t. The title track “Fever Dream” reminds us all that we have a choice - we can hide beneath our demons, or we can escape to a fever dream. The band states, “Life is a constant Fever Dream but it is up to each and every one of us to search for the divinity that is contained within all things in existence.” Soldiers of the Royal Council have claimed this track as “a new anthem of hope” and have stated it’s the Palaye Royale anthem. The opening lyrics - “Close your eyes and exit life tonight/You’ll be just fine, you’ll be alright” - are enough to provide comfort and healing vibes, as well as saving lives. Remington stated this was the best song that has come from the band and creating it brought him close to his brothers again. He also mentioned fellow rock artist phem helped write the song and made it possible. Lyrics of “Fever Dream” that have captured hearts and motivated listeners most are - “Follow me into this fever dream/We can be anything and everything/We want to be if we believe.”
“Line It Up” is a reflective ballad that expresses the band’s desire to deviate from suburban life. The track descends the high from the previous one, conveying a piano-driven track with soft acoustics and powerhouse vocals. “Line It Up” features legendary singer-songwriter LP, who lends her unmatched vocals that create perfect harmonies, driving the track’s emotional and empathetic feel home. Alongside the track, the video (directed by Ivy Tellin) intercuts footage from Palaye’s headline tour with scenes shot with LP at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, CA. “Toxic In You” offers upbeat melodies blended with engaging lyrics that express lack of self-confidence. “Wasted Sorrow” engages you with its distinct guitar tones and compelling vocals. The track dives deep into Remington’s feelings of “wasting life away” and encourages listeners to not waste their life.
Leading into previously released single “Paranoid”, the song addresses self-doubt and insecurities through its enthralling lyrics. Palaye states about the track, “It’s about all the insecurities in your head holding you back from living your life. It’s about the doubt and that voice in your head telling you that you cannot do something.” The band also explained the track is about the journey to silence that voice and your fears and to rise above it. “Paranoid” begins with gradual beats, calming guitar riffs and compelling vocals, which leads into an astonishing chorus with raw vocals from Remington. “Oblivion” strips down the hype of the last track and explores the emotional weight of the album. For a song that portrays itself as the turning point, the chorus explains the singer is floating in oblivion and remains stuck. The latest single “Lifeless Stars” remains the most hopeful and uplifting track on Fever Dream. Gradually intriguing you with swaying melodies that eventually drag you into the motivational chorus - “We are, we are the Lifeless Stars/Shining in the dark/We all, we all have teenage scars defining who we are” - that will bring tears to your eyes for moments.
“The King Of The Damned” delivers the chaotic moments of Palaye Royale that feature robust guitars, repetitive drumbeats and screeching vocals. “Off With The Head” feels like closure that’s not completed. The track gives off an ending vibe but remains explaining the end of the album as if it’s half concept. “Off with the head they said” - Remington screams along with a mention of “bastards”, referring back to their previous LP, The Bastards. As this track ends, it ties into the next one which is known as the outro. The cinematic feel between the last few songs is sedative with its calming melodies and melodic harmonies. With instantly relatable lyrics during the outro - “We won’t go down” - feels as if it’s the message to the Royal Council that spreads throughout the entirety of Fever Dream. As the ending vocals fade out, and the theoretical curtain in your mind closes, you’re left with feelings of contentment, but of course, always craving more from Palaye Royale.
Fever Dream is in fact a fever dream that explores the meaning of life and dives into deep emotion and rawness of humans. The tracks on this album showcase Palaye Royale’s growth over the years as they have faced extreme challenges in their lives and careers. As the band has always made sure their fans feel safe and accepted, lyrics of this album will remind people it’s okay to not be okay. Exploring mental health through music will always help people heal, but when it comes to Palaye Royale, we can always trust they’ll be there to save us.
PALAYE ROYALE
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