Album Review: The Dust Coda - "Mojo Skyline"

 

When you see a band being hailed as "the new stars of UK classic rock", you can't help but be a bit sceptical. After all, this is not a musical movement exactly known for its originality. So, are the Dust Coda another case of hype over substance or have we genuinely discovered British rock's bright new hopes?

Well, the main band this lot bring to mind is Reef and I guess what you thought about Gary Stringer and co's worthy but rather dull bluesed-up take on Britrock in the mid-'90s will probably dictate what you think about this. Certainly when this band choose to kick things into gear properly such as on the chugging Limbo Man and the Sweet Child o'Mine soundalike Dream Alight, they turn in an agreeably no-frills take on the whole classic rock formula.

The big problem is that Mojo Skyline suffers from a chronic lack of originality. I mean, don't get me wrong, I can generally forgive this when the formula's done well but there does come a point where it becomes near-impossible to ignore and unfortunately this album blunders well over the wrong side of it on a few occasions. Certainly, the limp funk-rock of Breakdown, the blues-rock-by-numbers of Rolling and the turgid balladry of Bourbon Pouring really do just feel like the musical equivalent of people who dress up in armour and go to civil war re-enactment societies on weekends even though they're actually accountants from Reading in real life. The decidedly overwrought vocals and ultra-generic lyrics (I mean c'mon lads, we really don't need another Greta van fucking Fleet) don't help matters either.

I'll give the Dust Coda credit, they're a solid band musically and there's nothing truly objectionably awful on here but even on the better songs, Mojo Skyline really doesn't offer anything that you won't have heard done better before a million times unfortunately. I'm sure they'll do a storming trade among blinkered ‘70s rock bores who regard any styles of music from punk onwards as heresy against The Great Rock Order Of Doing Things but this really does just feel like Classic Rock For Dummies 101 for the most part. Only recommended if you really absolutely must have yet another album like this in your collection - otherwise just save yourself the money and stick an early Led Zep album on.

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NITE SONGS RATING: 🌓🌓🌓🌓🌓🌑🌑🌑🌑🌑 (5/10)

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