Earlier this week this all new nine track album from Portland Oregon’s Lovesores hit me completely out of the blue like some virtual hammer blow to the head, for three very differing reasons.

Firstly, cranking this baby up via Bandcamp I noticed I somehow totally missed their 2018 Thee Slayer Hippy produced ‘Gods of Ancient Grease’ album, yup I know that’s an epic fail on my part, especially as I had everything the band had released up to that point.

Then secondly, I check in with the band’s singer Scott Drake on Facebook only to see him sharing the news that Lovesores had split up and ‘Bats From Planet Skull’ would be their last record. Unless it made the band millionaires, then, and only then might they do one more…but only one!

Finally, there’s the all-important music that these guys produce. This is music that makes me recall a time when music lovers and musicians alike weren’t hell bent on being part of some here today gone today scene and we just went to gigs irrespective of genres simply because we loved the bands. Remember those halcyon days? Well opener ‘Some For Tomorrow (Some For Tonight)’ is a classic example of this – it’s like someone has just taken the stiletto sharp street spirit of The Cramps and the spit and sawdust savagery of Nashville Pussy put them in a blender alongside generous helpings of The Humpers back catalogue and the result immediately has me bouncing off the walls. Something that shows no signs of letting up for album’s twenty something minutes run time.

Highlights? Well, each of the nine tracks is a cold-blooded punk rock ‘n’ roll killer, but if I were forced to single out a few tunes of particular note then I would have to say that the nine pint swagger of ‘Belle In The Belfry’ (think Harrington Saints minus the hardcore influence and you won’t be too far away) coupled with insanely catchy ‘Bishop Of Worms’ which cleverly twists Smokey Robinson into the type of horn driven punk rock stomper that RFTC once excelled in writing, are immediate stand outs.

In some ways ‘Bats From Planet Skull’ reminds me of Spermbirds awesome ‘Go To Hell And Turn Left’ from just last year. That LP also appeared out of nowhere and blew all comers out of the water, and believe when I say it will take a lot to top this record for sheer unbridled low-slung guitar rock ‘n’ roll joy in 2020. Oh, and whilst I remember in ‘Hot Pants’ the band have penned perhaps the unintentional anthem for this summer, should we ever be allowed out of ours houses that is.

‘Bats From Planet Skull’ is available digitally right now via the Bandcamp link at the bottom of this review. It’s also up as a “name your price” download, so even if you are struggling for cash right now you can still get to hear this fantastic blast of punk rock music at a budget to suit you.

Go fill your Chelsea boots brothers and sisters and don’t forget to tell Scott that RPM sent you. Let’s make Lovesores millionaires so he then has to get the band back together for one more record, because the joyous racket that the Lovesores make is just sooooooo damn fine!!!

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Author: Johnny Hayward