The Last Wave of Summer (Remastered)

iTunes Review

Following years of speculation and rumour, Cold Chisel finally reconvened in the studio during 1997 to record a new album. The individual members had either become solo superstars or done well with their respective new bands, yet the time was right to regroup. The release of the Chisel best-of collection (1991), the Last Stand concert (1992), and the archival collection Teenage Love (1994) had kept the Chisel legend well and truly alive. The band was reported to have demoed at least 100 songs, but they eventually emerged with 20 for The Last Wave of Summer. This is the sound of an accomplished, more mature group with their musicianship and songwriting craft honed to a fine degree. True, there are many lighter moments here, such as “Bal-a-Versailles,” “Once Around the Sun,” “Angel in My Room,” and “Water into Wine.” Yet what would a Chisel album be without the all-out barnstorming riff-rockers like “Yakuza Girls,” “Baby’s On Fire,” or “The Things I Love in You”? To top things off, there’s the nostalgic, real Australian blues flavour of the title track.