It's hard to find a Glyder review that doesn't mention
Thin Lizzy at some point, which is to be expected because: (1)
Thin Lizzy are, in fact, a major influence on Glyder, and (2) Glyder are an Irish band.
Thin Lizzy were among the top Irish rock bands of the '70s (back in Ireland's pre-
U2, pre-
Pogues era), and anyone who owns a copy of 1976's
Jailbreak or 1977's
Bad Reputation can't miss the strong
Thin Lizzy influence in Glyder's work. But as Glyder's third full-length album,
Yesterday Today and Tomorrow, demonstrates, it's a mistake to think of Glyder as simply a
Thin Lizzy tribute band. Actually, part of what makes this 2010 release interesting is the way that Glyder successfully draw on different eras for inspiration; their sound is a mixture of classic rock and alternative rock.
Yesterday Today and Tomorrow is quite mindful of the hard rock and arena rock of the '70s, but it doesn't set out to be a carbon copy of that era; there are elements of post-grunge and post-‘80s Brit-pop in the material as well as occasional hints of
U2 (a comparison that may come too easily given the Irish connection, although it's a valid comparison nonetheless). The classic rock influences jump out at you -- influences that include
Paul McCartney & Wings,
Golden Earring,
Pink Floyd (although Glyder rock a lot harder),
Rory Gallagher,
Deep Purple, and, of course,
Thin Lizzy -- and yet, it's hard to believe that a fan of, say,
the Foo Fighters, wouldn't find some post-‘80s value on this album. That said,
Yesterday Today and Tomorrow doesn't pretend to reinvent the wheel, but it's a rewarding example of how a band can obsess over the '70s without being totally oblivious to the '90s and 2000s. ~ Alex Henderson