Phonotonal
Last Nation

Last Nation
Freak Nation

Last Nation take their name from the global melting-pot phenomenon that blurs the cultural barriers, effectively creating a single worldwide nation. It’s also much better than their previous name, Don Smooth!

‘Freak Nation’ kicks the record off, reassuring us that Last Nation are still influenced by the likes of Placebo, Muse, and Sonic Youth. The drums and bass really push the track along, with guitars flying around the song like a swarm of flies. The chorus is punchy with a great anti-anthem lyric and a tinge of angst in the vocal. The fuzzy bass sound switches away from the simplicity of the verse when the song needs that little extra something to plump up the sound.

The two b-sides continue the theme, with ‘Bitter Taste’ supplying another pacey track with buzzing guitars cutting through a hooky chorus and ‘Always Never’ capturing a musical intensity that contrasts with the emotionally vulnerable vocal.

Last Nation have upped their game with songs that are even better, matched by a tighter sound and slicker vocal. Great stuff.

Written by Smith on

Stuart 'Saur' Smith was a prolific writer for The Mag throughout the magazine's lifetime. He combined a day job of temporary office jobs in London with a nightlife of trawling the capital's music venues looking for talent. As well as writing about music, he was a session musician who featured on a number of singles in the 90s. Today, Stuart is a Chief Writer for Phonotonal.
Stuart Smith

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