Royal Thunder: Tiny Desk Concert

Mlny Parsonz's bluesy belt has been the grounding force of Royal Thunder's stirring hard-rock for almost a decade now, and on the band's third album, Wick, the songs all knot and unravel with psychedelic power. True to its name, volume and a small army of effects pedals play a large role in Royal Thunder. But what happens when we ask the Atlanta band to unplug that... thunder?

From the first note, you could hear Parsonz's sandpaper soul blasting down the hallways of NPR. Both "Anchor" and "April Showers" are slow-burners, built up from the complex guitar interplay of Josh Weaver and Will Fiore; the acoustic treatments here turn them into proggy blues hollers. The band closes with the emotionally wracked "Plans," featuring just Fiore and Parsonz. The performance is absolutely raw — Parsonz screams and beats her chest as her voice cracks, drawing power from a desperate vulnerability.

Wick is available now. (iTunes) (Amazon)

Set List

• "Anchor"
• "April Showers"
• "Plans"

Musicians

Mlny Parsonz (vocals); Josh Weaver (guitar); Evan Diprima (drums); Will Fiore (guitar)

Credits

Producers: Lars Gotrich, Niki Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Beck Harlan; Production Assistant: Maia Stern; Photo: Claire Harbage/NPR.

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