Royel Otis leave their mark with ‘hickey’
The Australian duo return with a lo-fi indie pop gem, capturing the fleeting highs and bittersweet lows of romance.
Photo: Press
Just over a year from their debut PRATTS & PAIN, Australian indie-pop duo Royel Otis set to further their prominence in the indie scene as one of the genre’s most exciting talents with their sophomore record, hickey. Since their breakout in 2022 with Oysters In My Pocket, the pair have been impossible to ignore, going on to attract global attention using their signature infectious vocals to reimagine classics such as Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s Murder on the Dancefloor and The Cranberries’ Linger. With both covers gathering millions of streams respectively, the traction gained for this magnetic partnership has only risen since.
The album opens with i hate this tune, a track that perfectly encapsulates the classic Royel Otis sound: jangly, sun-soaked guitar riffs intertwined with melodies that linger long after the song ends.
Despite being deceptively simple and not overtly groundbreaking, it achieves exactly what the duo do best, delivering the kind of lo-fi, indie-pop summer anthem that feels at home at beachside hangouts or backyard parties.
Lyrically, the track explores the way memories of a lost love can cling to places and experiences, with lines like “You know I hate this tune ‘cos I think of you” and “All the places we went, I don’t wanna forget” capturing that bittersweet tension between longing and nostalgia. It’s a perfect opening, immediately setting the tone for an album steeped in wistful reflection and the marks that love leaves behind.
Released as the album’s lead single, moody quickly became Royel Otis’s biggest-performing track in its opening week worldwide across digital platforms, cementing their breakout into a broader audience.
The duo continues their hallmark technique of shifting between reverbed, hazy vocals and an isolated, stripped-back delivery in the bridge of moody, a contrast that uplifts the final chorus drop and magnifies its emotional punch.
The song explores a sharper lyrical edge as well, confronting the frustrations of a relationship defined by conflict and constant miscommunication. Lines like “I’m in the doghouse again” and “Late nights she’s always accusing, last time she said she would kill me” capture the claustrophobic cycle of arguments and the helplessness of always feeling in the wrong.
come home sees Royel Otis swapping their pulsating guitar leads for a gentle, acoustic melody that perfectly complements Royel’s soft falsetto and the duo’s layered harmonies. It’s a bold departure from their signature sound, a risk many artists might shy away from, yet here it lands flawlessly, showcasing their willingness to explore new emotional and sonic territory.
The track evokes a similar but breezier take on Weezer’s Island in the Sun, but with lighter, more intimate vocals. Lyrically, it explores the aches of regret that follow letting a lover slip away, the space between sparking the sudden clarity of longing, as captured in lines like “Another goodbye, it’s not over, it’s not over” and “Come home, thought I knew why I let go, all I needed was you.” More than just a love song, come home embodies the universal truth that we often don’t realise what we need until it’s gone.
This record generally follows similar trends and doesn’t like to shy away from the norm of the flow, creating sections in the track list of more understated, one-tone songs that don’t quite build momentum or shift production in any surprising ways. Tracks like good times and torn jeans feel like a slight departure from the duo’s signature catchy melodies — while torn jeans offers some impressively textured bass, both tracks meander without fully landing, lacking the hooks that make their best work so compelling. That said, these one-offs don’t define hickey; rather, they serve as subtle learning points.
hickey emerges from this whirlwind of attention as both a continuation and step forward. While their debut thrived on fast-paced indie rock energy, their second offering stays close to their roots whilst leaning more into acoustic textures and breezy lo-fi production choices, favouring harmonies drenched in reverb and bittersweet themes over immediacy.
As the title suggests, the record’s themes of love’s ability to leave lasting marks of emotional turmoil and lingering memories resonate through every track, completing a record that feels tailor-made for those last embers of summer.
hickey confirms Royel Otis as one of indie’s most exciting new voices, leaving the impression of a duo still only beginning to discover their full potential.
hickey is out now via Ourness / Capitol Records.