Kevin Bronson on December 13th, 2017

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Born Rivals is the name being used* for the music of brothers John and Paul Thornley, whose sibling revelry (and rivalry) fueled the Washington, D.C., rock quartet U.S. Royalty for eight years and two albums. That band parted ways this summer, the Thornley brothers having migrated west to L.A. to embark on their new project, which has seen them release a series of monthly singles. They cover a lot of sonic ground, from contemporary synth-rock to throwback, rootsy guitar jams to the latest single, “Volca,” more in the vein of ’90s-style alt-rock. The Thornleys made the tune with producer Grey Goon (Lauren Ruth Ward, Oddnesse), and indeed it is named for a model of Korg analog synths that pulse menacingly until giving way to vicious, delicious blasts of guitar.

* Not to be confused with the Victorville punk quartet Born Rivals

||| Stream: “Volca,” “Dosage” and “Howl”