Album Review: Lee Ranaldo & The Dust - Last Night On Earth

Some solo artists are overshadowed by their bands, some far surpass them. For Lee Ranaldo, with comparisons to Sonic Youth and Thurston Moore, it's hard to know if it'll match up. Last Night On Earth focuses on guitar-based indie pop with a smattering of the distortion that peppered Sonic Youth's catalogue. At times it feels morbid, with its country twang, but at others, melodic and resolutely upbeat. This is helped by Ranaldo's measured vocals on songs like Lecce, Leaving and the title track, as well as the assured playing of The Dust.