Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

For as long as there is war there will be art made about it, regardless of the genre, the form or the artistic content, there will always the reflection of what the destruction force of war can do to the soul and to those caught in the cross fire. It is a genre explored with grace and style by The Last Scout and one that catches the lump in the back of your throat unawares and off guard, for Dust N Bone is a song that just knows where to hold you, where to push you off balance and when to catch you before you hit the ground.

The Last Scout, Tom Stockdale, Guy Thackham, Chris Haywood and Michael Woosey, take the drama out of conflict, whether that be on the battlefield, in the home or in the workplace, and turn it to a point of reflection, of trying to understand where the blame for such actions, is to be held and whether it is right to be quizzed on such matters in the public eye; that by releasing the ghosts that arise in the heat of the moment is either good for us or can lead to more turmoil.

The sincerity of the song catches the back of the throat but it is the lyrical value that is the powder keg that drives the arrangement, the combustible force that winds itself in like a giant python, only to be found moments later squeezing the dear life out of those that resist and struggle as they fail to understand that their denial of such actions in life is not only morally defeatist but dangerous to the well being of all concerned. It is the explosion that awaits anyone with the stress of a situation that has blown up in their face and the complexity of human thought is carefully held and comforted by the band.

Dust N Bone is big and bold, it is vigilant in its appeal, it doesn’t allow the listener to feel as though they are a conspirator or interloper in someone else’s post traumatic affairs, but it does offer an insight into how the brain sees such things when it is under stress, the words that are misspoke, the actions un-defendable but understandable when seen in the full context; The Last Scout have made a single that is polished, full of bitter recriminations but also one that truly stands out aurally as well with honest beauty. A classic rock song that pulls no punches!

Ian D. Hall