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2022 will surely go down as one of the greatest years, if not THE greatest year, for band reunions. In January, Sunny Day Real Estate reunited. In June, The Mars Volta reunited. In July, Pantera reunited. And if these bands weren’t enough, even the iconic legends that are Pink Floyd reunited in March! And, so too, did a certain cult band from Derbyshire. Returning suddenly out of absolutely nowhere back in March, LostAlone surprised everyone by not only announcing that they were supporting the also-newly-reunited emo legends My Chemical Romance on a few of their UK shows, but that they were also releasing their first album in 8 years, titled ‘The Warring Twenties’.
It’s safe to say that on this record, LostAlone are carrying on the torch for the British Alt Rock scene. Some of their guitar riffs would make bands like Don Broco kick themselves for not thinking of them first, and singer/guitarist Steven Battelle’s vocal range is impressively on par with Jon Gaskin from Fort Hope who, coincidentally, are supporting them on their string of UK shows in December! After spending his post-break-up years writing country songs in Nashville and pop songs in Los Angeles, Steven still dreamt of “fireballs of melody and incredible, stolen faces singing still-unwritten words back at me.” And what you get on this new album is nothing short of just that, and much more.
On second track ‘Time Goes Fast When You’re Having Fun (So For A Long Life You Best Have None)’, which looks like it would be the perfect Fall Out Boy title, the group blends together a mix of breakneck-speed pop punk, topped with some beautiful progressive rock melodies. ‘Lost & Found Balance’ is a perfect example of just how brilliant of a frontman Steven Battelle really is, as he plays a beautiful guitar line backed up by some gorgeous strings. To top it all off, it’s even accompanied by an acoustic guitar solo that you just know would sound massive had it been electric! And on one of my personal favourites ‘Over Under a Spell, we hear a song that perfectly tells a story of being afraid of isolation and the feeling of loneliness. The first few lines “The spider on the ceiling has become my only friend/The loner in the dark is wrapping fear up in his web” is sung in a sort of musically creepy whisper/whimper, similar to that of Bert McCracken from The Used.
The group aren’t afraid to delve into the more unconventional time signatures at times too, sounding Biffy Clyro-esque in the sense of mixing both technical precision with a heavy prog collision. And as a whole, it’s almost as if on this album, both My Chemical Romance and Creeper formed a supergroup, as it’s incredibly theatrical and anthemic. It’s in these songs, with those infectiously catchy choruses and melodies, that you sit there listening to them, wondering how on earth they’re not selling out stadiums themselves yet.
In just over a half hour in total length, LostAlone are once again proving to any naysayers that they’re one of the best to do it for their scene, and it’s a big welcome back. Whether you’ve been a fan of them prior to the split or not, ‘The Warring Twenties’ is a great introduction (or reintroduction) to one of the UK’s most underrated rock outfits. And I, for one, am keeping my fingers crossed that this time around, they’re here to stay.
Review – Joe Richardson
‘The Warring Twenties’ is available September 30th via Dharma Records, pre-order here.
LostAlone will conclude 2022 with a UK headline tour. Dates are as follows:
09.12.22 – London, Boston Music Room
10.12.22 – Bristol, The Lanes
12.12.22 – Manchester, Star & Garter
13.12.22 – Glasgow, Classic Grand
15.12.22 – Leeds, Key Club
16.12.22 – Derby, The Venue
More information, here.
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