New York City has always been a hotbed of action in the oi! scene so when a new name crops up it is usually worth paying attention, and urban dogs The Royal Hounds are no exception. To start with you can\’t help but notice the lofi recording with a very compact drum sound, trebly guitars, clear bass-lines and a slightly muffled lead vocal. Yep, sounds like it could have come straight out of Templars\’ own Acre studios.

Musically that is also a good starting point, but The Royal Hounds NYC stamp their own identity onto their debut release. Think somewhere between Les Templiers and the much missed Sydney Ducks, but these mutts dig deeper into the roots and you can hear how much the Rolling Stones or The Who have played significant roles in creating this street punk sound. There is a ton of melodic guitar playing that provides the ideal backdrop for the deep gruff vocals. In a way The Royal Hounds have spoilt us listeners by offering seven songs in one go as many of their contemporaries would tease us, drip-feeding two-track 7\” records to keep you begging for more. Well, I for one am grateful and I\’m lapping these tunes up! Tom Chapman