Surely an allusion to “Oysters in My Pocket,” a large crustacean looms over the heads of Royel and Otis. It looks more like a prawn to me though. Don’t take my word too seriously though, I’m allergic to shellfish.
2024 has seen the breakout of the Sydney duo Royel Otis. It has been a rapid growth of popularity that forced the band to upgrade the venue for this show from Metro to the Salt Shed. They are young and energetic, fun and frisky. Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic got their break through a couple of popular covers: Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor,” and The Cranberries’ “Linger.” I had heard their single “Sofa King” over a year ago, but it was these songs that forced the band to play bigger venues. The covers themselves do not reveal the band’s talent to the degree that their original songs do, but the good thing is they made people aware of this original music.
Perhaps following inspiration from Sia or Daft Punk, Maddell covers his face with his long brown hair in most all public appearances. During the performance, he hid his face and played his guitar while Pavlovic sang by his side. The irony is it was Pavlovic, and not Maddell, that was the shy one on the stage. Maddell made almost all the remarks in between songs, with great excitement. He thanked the crowd, told stories, asked questions, all while Pavlovic stood down. Not quite slurring his speech, Maddell did seem slightly intoxicated, and was maybe louder than usual. The dynamic on stage was unexpected, but not without chemistry.
The performance itself started off a bit slow. After leading off with “Heading for the Door,” they played some of their lesser known songs. Maddell’s guitar lacked clarity and crowd excitement was lacking. While their songs are not ones with high stakes, the performance became more focused around the midpoint. “Nack Nostalgia” wavered nicely between melancholy and a summer bop. “Fried Rice” was arguably the best song of the night, with its rippling movement of rhythm. They played both of the popular covers within the last four songs, and finished off a two song encore with “Kool Aid.” A lack of coherence that made up the first half of the show was replaced by a freshness that encouraged laughing and dancing.
The encouragement of laughing comes through Royel Otis’s lyrics. They have solidified a feeling of sound that creates happiness out of heartbreak or misfortune. They contrast images of pain with ones of less consequence and an upbeat sound. They talk about flowers and beaches, cigarettes and hallucinogens, and food and drinks. They use cheeky plays on words like “Oysters in the pocket / We’re saving for lunch / Not that we are shellfish / we just haven’t learnt much,” and “My headache’s gone, / Now come on, Eileen / And I drink too much.”
Without listening closely to the lyrics, one will think that Royel Otis is a happy-go-lucky group, perhaps lacking depth. With more attention, it is clear that they are focused on representing the modern world through an examination of its difficulties. Through this they have found not a nihilism or existentialism, but a cheerfulness. Through a closer examination, they remain to have this happy-go-lucky spirit, but unequivocally not lacking depth.