One of the things lacking with so much modern music is energy. It has been lost in the pursuit of technical perfection. Glasgow based band Le Reno Amps cannot be accused of lacking energy. They throw everything into that melting pot of top pop tunes and turn up the heat.
"How did You Wrong Me?" ploughs a musical furrow all the way from the Faces through Oasis and stops alongside the best of the genre (Colchester's Fuzzface in case you are interested). "Stop the Clocks" throws in the sort of intelligent yet commercial lyrics that you would have heard - in days gone by - from the likes of Squeeze or XTC. Tracks like the charming "Tree House" and "Deserted Sons" match the best from Edinburgh's pop maestros Dropkick. Whilst there are plenty of influences on show here, Le Reno Amps manage to stamp their individuality on every track. More importantly, this sounds like a band playing and not a bunch of session musicians. Finally, and on the grounds that you should always finish with a bang, this album ends with a full on, punching in the air, floor filler in "Wound Up". Irresistible!
This album proved to be quite refreshing in a way that no soft drink will ever be. The songs are good and the performances consistently energetic. Whilst at times a little unfocused, there is much here to commend and we have no doubt that the next album will be even better. In the meantime, this album will make a very acceptable addition to your collection.