Songs for the Spine
| Songs for the Spine | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by The Royston Club | ||||
| Released | August 8, 2025 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:15 | |||
| Label | Modern Sky | |||
| Producer | Richard Turvey | |||
| The Royston Club chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Songs for the Spine | ||||
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Songs for the Spine is the second studio album by the Welsh indie rock band The Royston Club.[3] It was released on 8 August 2025, via Modern Sky in cassette, CD, digital download, LP, and streaming formats.[4][5]
Background
Produced by Richard Turvey,[2] the album was preceded by the band's 2023 debut release, Shaking Hips and Crashing Cars.[3]
The fourth single of the album, "Cariad", was released on 9 July 2025, succeeding previously-released singles, "The Patch Where Nothing Grows" in 2024, "Shivers" in April 2025, and "Glued to the Bed" in May 2025.[6]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Clash | 8/10[3] |
| MusicOMH | 3/5[2] |
| Narc | 4/5[4] |
Susan Hansen of Clash described the album as "Lofty, anthemic and compelling", calling it "a joy from start to finish, this collection of numbers flourish, as the songs come to life."[3] MusicOMH rated the album three stars and stated, "It's stripped of excess, with Rich Turvey's production finding a sweet spot between raw and radio-friendly," calling it "an easy, crowd-pleasing listen – breezy guitar-pop that rarely offends and often uplifts."[2] Narc assigned the album a score of four out of five, referring to it as "a confident sophomore release" that "stands out in a crowded indie guitar-driven band market."[4]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Ben Matthias, except where noted; all music is composed by The Royston Club (Tom Faithfull, Sam Jones, Matthias, and Dave Tute).
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Shivers" | 4:24 | |
| 2. | "The Patch Where Nothing Grows" |
| 3:18 |
| 3. | "Crowbar" | 3:52 | |
| 4. | "Glued to the Bed" | 3:39 | |
| 5. | "Cariad" | 4:15 | |
| 6. | "30/20" | 3:05 | |
| 7. | "Spinning" | 3:40 | |
| 8. | "Through the Cracks" | Faithfull | 3:11 |
| 9. | "Curses & Spit" | 3:28 | |
| 10. | "The Ballad of Glen Campbell" | 6:23 | |
| Total length: | 39:15 | ||
Personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal.[7]
The Royston Club
- Tom Faithfull – vocals (all tracks), guitar (tracks 2–5, 7, 8)
- Sam Jones – drums
- Ben Matthias – vocals (1–4, 6–10), guitar (1, 3–8, 10)
- Dave Tute – bass guitar
Additional contributors
- Richard Turvey – production, engineering (all tracks); guitar (7), programming (8), piano (10)
- Tom Longworth – mixing
- Joe LaPorta – mastering
- Sam Jones – vocals (10)
Charts
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[8] | 1 |
References
- ^ "Album Review: The Royston Club – Songs for the Spine". Taped Magazine. 31 July 2025. Archived from the original on 10 August 2025. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
- ^ a b c d Livesey, Donovan (7 August 2025). "The Royston Club – Songs For The Spine". MusicOMH. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
- ^ a b c d Hansen, Susan (6 August 2025). "The Royston Club – Songs For The Spine". Clash. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
- ^ a b c Oliver, Stephen (7 August 2025). "ALBUM REVIEW: The Royston Club – Songs For The Spine". Narc. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
- ^ "The Royston Club Official Store - The Royston Club - Songs For The Spine Green + Exclusive Signed Print". theroystonclub.tmstor.es. Archived from the original on 11 July 2025. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
- ^ Pilley, Max (9 July 2025). "The Royston Club tackle "just how messy love, sex, memory, and self-worth can be" on new single 'Cariad'". NME. Retrieved 9 August 2025.
- ^ "Songs For The Spine / The Royston Club / Credits". Tidal. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 August 2025.