It’s been a while since my headphones have been dominated by one band for weeks on end, a single album playing over and over again all day until I can barely stand it anymore, only to come back to it fresh again every morning. Royal Headache’s self-titled debut album has managed to do just that though, and it’s easily the most fun I’ve had listening to music over the past year.

Hailing from Australia, Royal Headache follow in the immediate footsteps of the much-loved Eddy Current Suppression Ring, reminding the rest of the world that punk rock used to be kind of fun. More soulful than ferocious, and more love-lorn than politically-inclined, Royal Headache are a just a frenzied pop-punk party in a bottle. While the guitars, bass, and drums are maybe just a step above ‘solid’ (which is fine, this is still punk after all), singer Shogun’s voice pulls the entire band into the upper echelons of Rock n Roll greatness, encompassing everything you could ever want from a frontman – frantic energy, great range, and, dare I say, soul.