LAST AUTUMN’S DREAM – Last Autumn’s Dream

What happened last autumn that would warrant dreaming about that time period, and naming your band after that dream? It must have been monumental. Anyway, Last Autumn’s Dream release their self-titled debut album, with three of Europe’s members (Mic Michaeli, Ian Haughland and John Leven), Fair Warning’s Andy Malecek and vocalist/songwriter Mikael Erlandsson. It is more of a studio project than an actual band, at this point …

Last Autumn’s Dream sounds somewhat akin to White Lion and Push, mostly because of Erlandsson’s breathy, understated delivery. Their music is more contemporary, albeit “modern rock” makes them sound like something 40-year olds eat dinner to. It’s not that mellow. Conversely, there are very few “rock” moments on this disk, which is surprising, considering Malecek’s past.

The first song, “Again and Again,” flows smoothly, a song full of hooks and a memorable chorus of “again and again, I’m gonna try to reach you, over and over ‘til the day I meet you, suddenly you’ll find your game is over.” This is also the best song on the CD, one of the few times the guitar is the strongest part of the mix.

A cool thing about this CD is that they have the second track, “Doin’ Time,” as the bonus track. Most bands save the bonus track for the last. This is another catchy song, something you could hear in the background of a party that wouldn’t offend or excite anyone. It is almost like their songs are too perfect, but you’ll have to decide if that’s an insult or a compliment.

While their harder songs don‘t always work, their mellow songs are mesmerizing. The song “Guardian Angel,” shows Erlandsson’s strength as a vocalist. The emotion shines through here, and he isn’t just sort of coasting along. Here, the keyboards are the driving force, the intermittent guitar notes influence the overall feel, but Erlandsson is the focus. This is what he does best, and it’s a pleasure to hear.

“The One” is another slower piece, starting with a soft keyboard, and when the drums and bass start, you’ll be hearing a beautiful hard rock ballad. “You are the one, we are the two …” Yeah, sappy, and yeah, good.

A funky, almost ‘80s pop-rockish song called “I Never Let You Go” is one of the highlights of the CD as well. The strange keyboard intro leads the song into something you should probably be hearing on the radio. Overall, the word “polished” will keep jumping into your mind when you hear the band play. This has one of the best guitar solos on the disk as well.

Usually bands like to save their hardest, riff-iest, grungiest song for last. Not so with Last Autumn’s Dream. Again, they slap you in the heart with a ballad, called “Going Home.” If you like ballads, these are your guys.

Last Autumn’s Dream does just about everything right. It’d be mean to say that their songs are inoffensive and cliche, because they are worth hearing. But, you’ve probably heard this type of music before. Overall, this is melancholy and polished music, played by excellent musicians. If you like melodic hard rock, good luck finding a troupe that does it better.