Much like Little Red and Hungry Kids of Hungary before them,
Last Dinosaurs' debut confidently re-packages the hook-laden guitar pop of
Phoenix and The Strokes for an Australian audience, relying heavily on slick
production punch to compliment the group’s youthful enthusiasm.
The first half of the record draws from the template set by runaway singles 'Honolulu' and the successful electro-flamenco guitar zing of 'Zoom'. 'I Can’t Help You' and 'Andy' similarly feature Sean Caskey’s yearning upper register over a sonically watertight unit that bounces off snappy post-punk rhythms that snake alongside some addictive guitar riffs.
Though they occasionally risk sounding formulaic (step forward 'Sunday Night'), there’s enough to suggest the Brisbane quartet are thinking beyond the constraints of radio-friendly singles. While the atmospheric interlude, 'Satellites', provides a much-needed breather, the heavier 'I Can’t Decide' is winningly juxtaposed with the softer 'Used To Be Mine'.
Finally, closing track 'Repair' is addictive - naggingly so - its pop-corn bassline hopping across a driving beat and airy two chord turnaround, but it proves that when Last Dinosaurs hit their groove, they're thoroughly enjoyable.
In spite of its adolescent moors and sugary production, In
A Million Years is not another vacuous statement of style over substance, but
an assured and exciting debut that allows the Brisbane hopefuls to *ahem* zoom to the top of the pop class.
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