It’s a Saturday and the Last Great Dreamers album Transmissions From Oblivion landed on my lap(top). I wanted to listen to this without any preconceptions, as I have not heard of the band before, but what’s the first thing we do these days? We swing by their social & web pages to check them out. There I see that they have been around for a while and have received great plaudits from the likes of Kerrang et al. So now I am expecting “Great” things from the Dreamers… I was slightly disappointed, don’t get me wrong this IS a great album but it could have been an AWESOME album. I just can’t shake the feeling that something is missing and I think, like the superlative song writers the Beatles, it might be that LGD need to find their own George Martin.
A couple of the tunes lack direction and don’t seem to go anywhere but maybe that’s because they are stacked up against other really well crafted and fully rounded tunes. Most bands are lucky if they have one or two stand out tracks on an album, LGD easily have double/treble that! Oblivion Kids, Glitterball Apocalypse, The Way We Collide, Dope School, White Light (Black Heart), You Don’t Work being the stand out tracks for me. Maybe they should have been more ruthless with themselves and weeded out the weaker of the 14 songs and left us with a killer album. Having said that, you are certainly given your monies worth!
If you like great catchy pop/rock songs (and who doesn’t), buy the album I don’t think you will be disappointed. It’s just my job to be super critical. As I listened to the album I couldn’t help thinking, “I bet this tune, then the next tune would be great live!” then the album ends and I return to their web pages to find out more about them because now I am intrigued, nay (I bet you never thought you’d see the word nay in a review) hooked!
Well would you believe it? I scanned down their page to their tour dates, only to see that they are playing my local rock venue on Sunday. Do I take my meagre £5 entrance fee in my grubby mitt down to the club based on what I have heard… you bet I do!!! Let’s just hope they can cut it live! That’s another story. One I will be submitting…
Released 30th September 2016
If you like great catchy pop/rock songs (and who doesn't), buy the album I don't think you will be disappointed.
