Lost Generation kicks off with a maelstrom of drums, filthy guitars and the sleaziest of bass sounds you could possibly wish for! Lead off track “DJ” is a dirty rock and roll number through and through and is the perfect introduction to this release from Since Monroe. Once the intro has reached its crescendo it slams into a bouncy poppy riff that Ginger from The Wildhearts would have been proud of however sound-wise it’s more reminiscent of the mid 90’s grunge sound which emanated from Seattle and was dominated by Nirvana, it’s not the smoothest sounding recording out there but I think the roughness works for these guys and gives them a bit of an edge that is sometimes lacking from a lot of bands. Of all the tracks on the EP “DJ” is probably the heaviest with its rattling tone it brings back memories of Queens of the Stone Age in all their pomp and glory, it’s ballsy big punk rock, rough around the edges and damn proud of it!
Second track is “Jack Kahuna Laguna” this a slightly more laid-back affair, still rocking along at a fair old pace it has a noticeable surf rock leaning, just imagine Michael J Fox as Teenwolf performing acrobats on top of his van and you’ll get the feel for this track. One of the things that stands out on this track is the verse section where the bass follows the lead guitar as opposed to sticking with a basic rhythm, by doing this it not only thickens the sound of the lead work but it also helps to give the song dynamic when it crunches into the chorus driven on by its thick power chords.
Third song in is “Lost Generation” which is more of a hark back to the rough and ready alt rock/ indie sound perpetrated by acts such as Idlewild on their earlier releases. Still maintaining a certain level of heaviness this track mixes bursts of sonic excess with more sombre reflective moments as Since Monroe provide us with a glimpse of a more mature side to their song writing. Vocally this is my favourite track as lead and backing vocals harmonise really well through the chorus and take centre stage for once ahead of the guitars.
The final song of the EP is “Satellites” which immediately brings a sense of Americana to the table, straight away the influence of Foo Fighters and Weezer can be heard in this radio-friendly offering. This song could easily have hit the top 10 in 1994 with its steady beat, subtle lead guitar and accessible vocal line, “Satellites” is pure guitar pop at its best and easily the most commercial track on the “Lost Generation” EP. The only slight downfall perhaps is that the backing vocals could be brought up more in the mix but besides this “Satellites” is a worthy stab at providing the band with the obligatory “hit” record…