Wrexham four-piece The Royston Club made a strong first impression with their debut Shaking Hips and Crashing Cars. Now, they’re back with a bang on their second album, Songs for the Spine—a record via Run on Records that marks a step up in both maturity and polish. Teaming up with renowned producer Rich Turvey (Blossoms, The Coral) in Liverpool, they’ve created a tight, cohesive collection of ten tracks that flow effortlessly. It’s an album written about, and for people they care about, a real labour of love and the result is something they can be proud of.
Opening track Shivers sets the tone with a slow-building intro that bursts into a full-throttle wall of sound. It’s a classic indie banger, packed with energy, leading into a shout-along bridge and final chorus. The vocal interplay between frontman Tom Faithfull and the rest of the band is a standout feature and will thrive both in your kitchen and your favourite venue.
Next up is lead single The Patch Where Nothing Grows, another instant indie hit. The guitars are sharp and punchy, Tom’s vocals are at their best, in particular during the isolated first chorus, backed only by Dave Tute on bass. The final chorus brings the whole band together at full force; it’s layered, loud, and euphoric.
A defining strength of Songs for the Spine is its use of space, pauses and silence that add depth and dimension to the record. Crowbar, written by Tom, captures this perfectly. The track charges forward with urgency before coming to a near standstill, then slowly rebuilds, its momentum rising with a pace that practically invites you to clap along towards a cathartic final chorus. “Like a puppet with his string cut / Watch me crumble to my knees,” Tom sings, just before one final surge: “I’ll miss it when it’s gone.”
Glued to the Bed follows with tongue-in-cheek charm, bounding along to Sam Jones’ lively drums. But beneath the upbeat energy lies something more poignant; stripped-back guitar parts allow the lyrics to shine through with emotional weight. “I’m still thinking of her, when I’m not thinking at all,” Tom sings, capturing the lingering messiness of a relationship that’s ended.
The album then moves into a more introspective space. Cariad marks the shift, trading punchy riffs for a slower, ballad-like moment. Written by guitarist Ben Matthias, it’s a wistful track about lost love, with ‘Cariad’ being a Welsh term of endearment. “All of these pictures of you and I / Plastered on the hallways of my mind,” Tom sings. It’s a softer, more vulnerable shade to the band: “I’m not a lucky man / But, darling, you had me fooled.”
30-20 could be a continuation of the same messy love, and there’s a sense of angst and urgency throughout. Distorted guitars and strained vocals give the track a raw emotional edge. “I’m feeling most at home when I’m trying to make sense of it all,” Tom sings, as a searing guitar solo cuts through, perfectly mirroring the song’s unsettled, frayed mood.
Spinning is delicate in its first half with falsetto vocals and clean instrumentation. It gradually builds in intensity; by the final minute, the guitars are once again distorted, and the vocal delivery becomes increasingly impassioned. It’s one of the album’s most mature moments.
Closing track The Ballad of Glen Campbell is the emotional centrepiece. As Tom noted in our recent interview, it was the song that made the band realise the album had truly come together. It’s reflective and poetic, “there’s comfort in the panic of watching love blur and skew.” An epic ballad, full of harmonies and a rare spattering of keys, it’s a worthy conclusion to a record that shows how far the band has come.
Songs for the Spine is a stellar follow-up to their 2023 debut. Often referred to as the hardest album for any band, the second LP sees The Royston Club rising to the challenge. It’s more refined, more introspective, and deeper in meaning, without losing the energy and charm that defined their early work. A bold and confident step forward.
