EP REVIEW: Room 11 - We All Fall Down

Room 11 are a two-piece band from south London. Badged as an ‘eclectic power duo’, their debut EP We All Fall Down is a five-track blues rock explosion with an undercurrent of electronic sound. By all accounts this is a band who are very much in the ascendency, with producer Dave Draper (Nickelback, Terrorvision and The Wildhearts) on board, and the band having featured on BBC1 Introducing, Planet Rock, KROQ Radio and more. 

The duo had this to say. "We decided to step out of London, as Luca Volpe (who played drums on two of the EP’s tracks) suggested we work with producer Dave Draper. Dave turned out to be perfect for our sound, understanding exactly what we were aiming for and capturing our energy on the recording, brilliantly - He is a magician, and we love him!” 

The opener Man on a Mission opens with a pounding riff from guitarist Robbie Pinnetto reminiscent of Wolfmother and The Black Keys. Chrisy Finn’s vocals come in with a slightly distorted tinge, and they sound great against the driving drum loop and wailing blues guitar. The tracks continue in this vein throughout the record, All She Wants and Black Fly bring massive drums and riffs aplenty, with the duo’s influences pinned to their selves. There are hints of Queens of the Stone Age and early Arctic Monkeys in their sound, combined with elements of Idles and The Strokes. It’s a heady mix. 

My favourite song is the title track We All Fall Down. It has a great riff, like a beefed-up My Sharona and vocals like Eric Davidson from one of my favourite bands New Bomb Turks. It’s a pounding blues-based track that sounds fresh but is reminiscent of a well-loved song from the past. Recorded almost a year ago in Pershore, near Birmingham, this is an album that our man John really enjoyed. “Overall, I love this release and can’t wait to see them live", he commented.

We All Fall Down is out now. More info at Room 11 Official

Review by John Caffrey