Artist: Release: LoveBlood
MusicBrainz: 4b05fcd9-05be-4563-8b76-8b33cbbde840
Released: 2012-05-08
Label: Universal Records
Country: US

Tracklisting:

01. LoveBlood (02:44)
02. Mississippi Isabel (03:03)
03. Bam Bam (02:55)
04. Love Lust (02:58)
05. Polar Bear (04:31)
06. Lady Percy (03:19)
07. Ivory Road (03:56)
08. The Brightest Lights (03:36)
09. Beating Hearts (03:54)
10. Coco Chitty (03:25)
11. Wilde Love (03:40)


Dressed in bouffant dreadlocks, Snidely Whiplash mustache, and a bootcase of frilly pirate blouses, London-based indie rocker Charles Costa (aka King Charles) comes off as a kind of latter-day Adam Ant on his 2012 debut, Loveblood. However, where Adam Ant pillaged the punk rock sound of '80s London, King Charles is a frothier regent with an ear for the campy '70s glitter-synth of Sparks combined with the indie Afro-pop meets neo-new wave of Vampire Weekend. Musically, Loveblood is an elaborately produced affair with a generous amount of orchestral sounds, as well as acoustic and percussion instruments dressing up the overall driving electronic and indie folk-rock vibe. And though he clearly aspires to the royal rock heights of Freddie Mercury, King Charles is less Queen and more Mumford & Sons on Loveblood. Songs like the jaunty leadoff title track and the '50s doo wop meets "hooked on the classics"-style disco number "Bam Bam" are exuberantly batty, eminently hummable ditties that showcase King Charles' knack for laconic crooning and bodice-ripping romantic lyrics like "I will build a towering pyre of passion built by my desire." Similarly engaging tracks like the tropical island steel drum fantasy "Lady Percy," in which King Charles coos "Oh, I know Lady Percy will never come to my show/Up in the highlands racing cars, building guns, and breaking hearts," and the anthemic banjo-driven country-rocker "The Brightest Lights" are sparkling, foot-tapping numbers that blithely play up Charles' lordly hedonistic persona. Ultimately, while King Charles' moniker would indicate he's crowned himself Lord of the Pop Manor, in truth, he's seated a bit further down the line from the throne. That turns out to be a good thing for the vocalist, who's clearly cut out for making silly, romantic, and catchy music that's not exactly what you would call "regal."