Music > Album Reviews

Last Great Dreamers - 13th Floor Renegades

30/10/18

The best band you’ve never heard? That phrase is used far too often, but it may be the case for Last Great Dreamers’ heady mix of punk, power-pop and glam. Seemingly on tour for most of the 90s, LGD never got the breaks their songs and hard work deserved After a 15 year lay-off, lynchpins Marc (vox/guitar) and Slyder (lead guitar/vox) relaunched the band in 2014. As with previous LP Transmissions from Oblivion, here they are joined by Denley (drums) and Steve (bass)

The LGD template is seemingly simple: power-pop melodies delivered with punk energy, glam stomp and indie nous, all harmony vocals, crunching riffs, thundering drums and unforgettable ear-worm choruses. New Situation, the title track and Whose Side Are You On are near perfect examples of what they do so well.

There is a welcome diversity here, though. Mid-paced rocker Speed of Light is like the Pistols’ Steve Jones playing with Quo. I Think I Like It could be a 2018 Big Star. For Your Information could be Notting Hillbillies-era Kinks cockney Americana. No Sunshine, Broken Things and latest single Primitive Man are belting rockers. Miles Away is gloriously melancholia while the singalong in Going Home should be filling stadiums.

A cracker of an album that deserves to be heard.

10/10