Label: Fantasy Records
Released: 11th November 2022
Few so-called supergroups have the same pedigree as L.S Dunes. Featuring Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance), Anthony Green (Circa Survive, Saosin), Travis Stever (Coheed and Cambria) and Tim Payne and Tucker Rule (both Thursday), they’ve all paid their dues in some of the biggest names in the scene.
To that end, ‘Past Lives’ is every bit as polished as you’d expect, all anchored by a typically powerful performance by Green. What’s perhaps most surprising, however, is that it’s hard to find signs of the day jobs in L.S. Dunes superior alt-rock.
Indeed, lead single ‘Permanent Rebellion’ is something of an outlier. A tectonic, titanic blast of punk-rock, it’s the only time L.S. Dunes really cut loose – and with thrilling results. But even when things are more mid-paced, the group still strike gold.
‘Antidotes’ is a driving, albeit more studied, banger, armed with a gloriously infectious guitar line that weaves its way through the song, while ‘Like Forever’ probably sounds closest to, on paper, what a supergroup featuring members of My Chemical Romance and Circa Survive etc should sound like. It, too, is superb.
Occasionally, L.S. Dunes miss the mark; ‘Blender’ broods but doesn’t ignite, while opener’ 2022′ – an odd choice for a single – is somewhat pedestrian compared to other cuts. However, when they spark – like on the outstanding one-two of the title-track and ‘It Takes Time’ – it’s easy to forgive the missteps.
Ultimately, L.S. Dunes have been able to put their collected experience to exceptional use throughout ‘Past Lives’. Supported by a top-notch production job by the esteemed Will Yip, they’ve delivered an alt-rocking masterclass which borrows from their post-hardcore backgrounds but isn’t indebted to it.
