Album review: SLYDER SMITH & THE OBLIVION KIDS – Charm Offensive

Ray Records [Release date 19.08.22]

Slyder Smith you may know from glam-tinged power popsters, Last Great Dreamers, who have released four studio albums and one live album to date. He’s now decided to take the place behind the mic stand. Joining Slyder are the Oblivion Kids, namely bassist Tim Emery and drummer Rik Pratt, with Neil Scully adding Hammond organ and piano.

As Slyder Smith notes, “This album has been a real labour of love for me, I’ve really put my heart & soul into it. Over the last year or so I’ve been working very hard developing my guitar playing, music & lyric writing pulling myself in all sorts of directions, really stretching myself. I guess for years I have been a frustrated lead singer so I have relished the opportunity to showcase what I can do vocally too.”

The duet with Nina Courson (Healthy Junkies) on ‘Crash Landing In Teenage Heaven’ is one of the album’s stand outs, as is the rock n roll beauty that is ‘Calico Girl’. Both would sound good blasting out on the radio or indeed your choice of speakers.

Nice Stones/Black Crowes vibe on ‘I’m Done’, followed by ‘When The Rain Comes’ that tips a musical hat to Slyder Smith’s power pop roots. There is a touch of country in the Ginger Wildheart style on ‘I Don’t Want To Run’. Therein lies this album’s main appeal, not only the melodies of the songs but also the musical variety on offer.

Oh, and they do a rather good cover of ‘NeverEnding Story’, which shows the band’s love of a good pop tune.

An accomplished and varied musical debut from Slyder Smith & the Oblivion Kids, great fun from start to finish. ***1/2

Review by Jason Ritchie

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)