REVIEW: Royel Otis - hickey

Australian guitar pop duo Royel Otis are back, bringing with them their sophomore album hickey. Fresh off the Reading and Leeds main stages after performing to two packed crowds, this album feels like a love letter to those early years of adulthood. Covering heartbreaks, relationships, and finding yourself, this album rides the waves of emotions that every late teen and early twenty-something goes through in their lives.

Following their swift rise to fame after viral covers of 'Murder On The Dancefoor' and 'Linger', this album feels like Royel Maddell (guitar) and Otis Pavlovic (vocals) have stepped into their 90’s grunge Nirvana-meets-Fleetwood Mac phase to release this album full of sun-drenched vibes and woozy riffs that are endemic of the duo’s signature style.

Opening with the ironically titled 'I Hate This Song', it's a heartbreaker of a song layered with an easy listening composition that is an ode to those that can’t listen to songs anymore because it reminds them of an ex. It’s a great start to an album and really showcases what’s to come with the rest of the record. You're then thrust straight into the controversial single 'Moody'. For those unaware, this song garnered some controversy online due to its questionable lyrics, including “my girl’s a bitch when she’s moody”, and whilst it definitely feels that it leans into the angsty adolescent stereotype, it may have gone a bit too far with that idea. The song did hit the charts, but the juvenile lyrics resulted in the pair having to make an apology.

'Good Times' and 'Torn Jeans' continue to showcase the simplicity of this album. Soft beats, day-dreamy vocals, and head bopping songs that just feel perfect as a soundtrack for sitting on the beach with friends or dancing in a sun filled festival field. 'Car', 'Jazz Burger', and 'Dancing With Myself' also fall into this category of easy listening songs, with each of them seamlessly moving from one to the next.

Whilst it’s always good to lean into what you know works and what the fan base enjoys, it can

sometimes get formulaic and can sometimes feel that a band are playing it safe. With more songs fitting this category than not across the LP, it’s a shame to see the duo not try and challenge themselves much musically with this album, as you can see that they have poured their hearts into it lyrically.

'Who’s Your Boyfriend' is one of the top tracks on the album. The track sticks with the recognisable style of riff that they've got down, but adds some slightly different drum beats, whereby it almost feels like a rebellion of sorts on this somewhat musically similar album. Similarly, the 80’s synth riff driven 'More to Loose' is a stark contrast to the head nodding songs that both precede and follow it, with its drums moving to the forefront of the song.

Whilst Royel Otis have created an album that the fans will love, it almost feels like they have taken the easy route. Whether this step is one that allows them to grow their fan base before they start to challenge themselves musically, or simply just the direction they wanted to take, remains to be seen, and likely won't be fully figured out until their next release. However, hickey is a great album to head bop and dance to for those cool kid festival vibes, even if it ultimately lacks the depth needed to stand out and become that bit more memorable.

Score: 6/10

hickey will be released on August 29th 2025 via OURNESS and Capitol Records.

Words: Laura Davies

Photos: Royel Otis