The Loft Club DREAMING THE IMPOSSIBLE. Lightyear Entertainment

“This is an album for purists. I’m one of those old school romantics who still practices the dying art of donnng the headphones and consuming an album from start to finish via candle light, with sleeve in hand. I don’t know if anyone listens to albums like that anymore, but I certainly do.” - Daniel Schamroth

DREAMING THE IMPOSSIBLE is the debut record from British psychedelic indie band The Loft Club. The band was formed in 2016 in Exeter. The band consists of Daniel Schamroth (guitar, vocals), Jamie Whyte (bass, vocals), Kieran Chalmers (drums), Josie Stoneman (vocals) and Sam Piper (lead guitar).

With its extended freestyle instrumental opening, ‘Dreaming The Impossible’ opens the record on an encouraging note. Sonically, it’s akin to a live recording with minimal production massaging underpinned by a dominant drum rhythm and strong melody. Check out the wonderful drums outro…’Hear Her Say’ is dominated by a lead vocal whose style reminds me of vintage pop/rockers. There’s another strong melody with a solid bass rhythm, hook-laden choruses and a song that shouts BBC Radio 1 airplay.

‘I’m Just A Man’ travels a darker and more serious path with a destinctive blues rock flavour. ‘True Love’ follows a similar route but with guitars playing a feature role. The vocal is the best so far exhibiting more expression and feeling. Lyrically, it’s also one of the strongest tracks here. ‘Baby You’ll Be Fine’ has a strong country rock vibe and bounces along fuelled by a strong melody and catchy choruses. This should be the band’s first single; a definite foot-tapping line-dance tune.

‘Keep Me Coming Home’ is a wandering contemplative piece while ‘Let It Slide’ features jangling guitar chords, a powerful rhythmic underbelly dragged along by the now customery strong melody. ‘You Are The Sun’ is a folk rock song with a stripped down and attractive instrumental arrangement. ‘Made In England’, like several songs here, has a traditional rock sound with a simple arrangement, expressive vocal and melody which makes it one of the best songs here. ‘Flat Broke’ with its simple, beautiful and dominating acoustic guitar, with its wonderful folk vibe is my favourite track on the album. It moves me more than anything else here. ‘Waves’ then reverts to a solid trad rock sound that reminds me of the Beatles, and has to be another single. And with the final country rock of ‘Flicker’ featuring Lisa Loeb the second half of the album lifts the whole substantially.

There’s heaps of sonic and mood diversity here with the band’s empathy for melody blazingly obvious. It’s supremely accessible and will appeal to a wide cross section of rock and modern folk fans. It’s a strong debut from a band that shows great promise.

4/5

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