Rock Archeologia

Last Man Standing - False Starts & Broken Promises (2009 Wild Flower Records)

Artist: Last Man Standing
Album: False Starts & Broken Promises
Label: Wild Flower Records
Catalog#: WFL 1326
Release: Dec 08, 2009
Country: UK
Genre: Rock/Pop, Rock, Alternative Rock
Total Time: 00:43:46

• At this moment in time, Last Man Standing aren't a million selling band, a household name, or one of those bands that are so famous that even your dad has heard of them. Last Man Standing aren't really in a position to flaunt the age old rule, for bands trying to make an impression, of starting your album with the killer lead track. So what do they do? Place a mid tempo instrumental as their opening number. Last Man Standing must either be mad or so bloody good and confident that they can dare to do this. Well let me tell you, it's the latter!
• Last Man Standing have created an album that grabs your attention right from the start.even with an instrumental opener! That opening track, 'Variation', breaks all the rules, and is a delightful number. It's very reminiscent of the theme from Midnight Cowboy, and is a subtle and beautiful track, featuring strings and if I'm not mistaken..waltz timing? How dare they! Well they dare, and it works! 'Queen Kong' is a more upbeat stomper of a track, with vocals reminiscent of The White Stripes, a sharp lead guitar that cuts through the main riff and to me would be an ideal single.
• Last Man Standing prove throughout this album that they have many different sides, and 'waiting So Long' takes a more melancholy feel, and whilst being a simple arrangement, it's very powerful and the vocals are both effective and emotional. I could praise this band forever, as they are so damn creative! 'The Dean Street Stumble' is a nice laid back blues number and 'The Climb' is a drunken bar room drinking song, yet ironically 'Bar Room Floor' is more of an emotional ballad, with powerful piano and stadium guitars. The band even closes the album with 'Theme From Last Man Standing', which is a variation of the opening instrumental track, but with different strings, trumpet, lead guitar and a very cheeky sounding saxophone! I could write pages about 'False Starts and Broken Promises'. It's everything you need from an album, it's well crafted, original, brilliantly written, superbly recorded and has an overall sound whilst each track retains its own originality. I urge you to buy it! ~ Gary Williams

 • Tracklist:

01. Variation 01:55
02. Queen kong 03:15
03. Waiting so long 03:01
04. The Dean Street Stumble 04:54
05. Everything must go 04:15
06. The climb 04:15
07. Bar room floor 04:50
08. A man condemned 04:11
09. Go home 07:40
10. Theme for the last man standing 04:55

   Producer Chris Cordoba; M. Vanderwolf
   Engineer Chris Cordoba; Chris Wyles

Members:

Terry Edwards - Saxophone, Trumpet
Art Terry - Piano, Keyboards
Chris Cordoba - Guitar, Keyboards, Background vocals
M. Vanderwolf - Vocals, Lap steel Guitar, Saxophone, Keyboards
Pablo Farba - Percussion
Gareth Batson - Drums
Victy Silva - Background vocals

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