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While the rise of TikTok is boosting a wave of long overdue 90s nostalgia, Royal Angst’s Jackie Rose has been ahead of the curve, cultivating her own grungy sound for at least five years strong, drawing on her own lineage to the 90s that works for her punchy grunge confessionals. After 2020’s Fuchsia Motel showcased the band’s core sounds, visuals, and identity, they return with the first half of a double album. The band hasn’t shifted too many gears, but the songwriting and production is a bit more refined, and the shorter length makes it more digestible.

The album is full of social, psychological, and romantic dysfunction. There’s introverted malaise in “Buzzkill,” where Rose is in a restroom stall making toilet paper animals to get away from the socialites outside. The production is glistening and the riffage is concise and thick. This formula carries over into “Starving,” as fiery guitar licks and swift drumwork soundtrack Rose’s musings about rocking on stage with Dave Grohl, tired of the “empty fields” whose dirt she grew from. The heart-strained acoustic balladry of “Hell & Back” stands out with its change in sensibility alone, but the beauty in the bare vocal performance makes it a highlight. The hesitation of submerging into someone else’s intimacy in “Dive” is handily expressed through its underwater theme — “I can't believe I've run out of oxygen again. Every time you come my way, I get the bends.” The quiet-loud dynamics of “Wax” and “Fish Eye,” and the slow burns of “3AM” and “Drugs”, show a good ear for arrangement and development.

Rose’s vocals are a major factor of the album’s enjoyment. It’s an unassuming timbre, but its always poised and powerful. Whether she sings with a snarl or a scratchy aching croon, she can express vulnerability, indifference, and scorn with dexterity. “The kitchen table's on the ceiling and the bread has turned to pudding,” she sings in a foreboding whisper before she belts out in exasperation. “My belly feels like lava lamp wax! I can't relax.”

Jackie Rose is the face and songwriter of Royal Angst, but drummer and producer Rene DeAnda’s presence is felt through grooves and fills that are lurching yet slick, most notably on the climactic "Drugs.” After many lineup changes as a full band and stints of acoustic work in the history of Royal Angst, this songwriter-producer collaboration is the best version yet, as the band has conceded the stage to conquer the studio.

The album has eight songs and three extras, with a live version of 2020’s “Fuchsia Motel” being one of them. The plodding pace of the song becomes a commanding stomp with crunchy guitars and crisp drums. Rose’s voice sounds as perfect as the studio version, with both grit and fragility shining through clearer than ever. It’s a fitting victory lap. Next is a tender acoustic demo “Jessie.” It’s low-key in sound and volume, like a hidden track you might find at the end of an old CD. Finally, we hear an acoustic demo of this album’s “Fish Eye.” It’s a bit unnecessary after the last two tracks gave the album closure, but it is interesting to hear the before and the after of the song, appreciating the bare songwriting and the studio effort separately.

Part two is still to come, but this album has enough punchy riffs, sharp lyrics, and potent mood to stand on its own.

Score: 8/10

Thanks for reading and listening! Purchase and listen to Antisocial Buttefly Pt. 1 below. Click here to listen on Spotify and Apple Music. Follow Royal Angst on Instagram. Follow Raymus Media on Instagram. Also, please consider becoming a patron of Rio Grande Valley music coverage by subscribing below. It would help hire writers and podcasters for more frequent content.