If you’ve an interest in such things, you’ll know Slyder Smith as the guitarist in Brit glam rock revivalists Last Great Dreamers; as head Oblivion Boy, Smith spreads his wings a little further to present Charm Offensive, a, well, charming, collection of easy-on-the-ear tunes that takes the listener on a pleasing voyage through the last fifty years of British rock n’roll, stopping at some surprising steps along the way…

Opening track El Encantador is a little spaghetti-flavoured diversion before the real rocking starts with Calico Queen, a glam stomper designed to ease existing Smith fans into proceedings with a s little culture shock as possible; Think Spedding, think Bolan, think getting your dancing shoes out of storage very soon…

I’m Done is funkier, all wah-wah licks and cowbell, with an organ and horn accompaniment that might prompt more catholic listeners to thoughts of Supergrass and other Britpop delights. When The Rain Comes is a driving pop tune with an earworm quality that could well have something to do with The Wildhearts in another life with it’s uplifting chorus and pulsing bass from Tim Emery; It’s the first real highlight of the record, carrying all the classic hallmarks of great British rock n’roll. And a guitar solo that quotes a very famous Elton John song quite liberally; nostalgic jollies ahoy!

Smith is a highly versatile guitarist, and his playing – especially his highly melodic lead playing – is top notch throughout Charm Offensive. Crash Landing in Teenage Heaven – which carries a chorus heavily redolent of indie pop icons Belle and Sebastian – doesn’t need much guitar flash but does take the listener back to the glory days of names like Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, which is a result in itself.

I Don’t Want To Run – the second real big highlight in this reviewer’s opinion – is folkier – I prefer to think more Levellers than Mumford – but powers through a a superb late-seventies pub rock chorus in exuberant style as banjos and saxophones meld together to create a real stormer of a track.

The plaintive Maya takes it’s foot off the gas and offers a chance for respite before normal service is resumed with the slow slung rollick of Pleasure Victim, which comes screaming at the listener with a cheeky grin on it’s face and some superb guitar playing in it’s fingers that’ll have you reaching for your Hanoi Rocks collection – but only after Charm Offensive has finished, natch… This is life affirming stuff, a reminder of happier days when the sheer loose-faced hedonism of rock n’roll was all that mattered. See you on the dancefloor next time the DJ belts this one out for some beer-spilling high jinks! Road Love continues the mood, again featuring a lip-smacking solo, before Hope Without Warning moves us across the Atlantic with an intro and classy organ insertions that may well remind discerning listeners of names like The Long Ryders or The Smithereens. It’s classy stuff, and a bit of Paisley never did anyone any harm, right?

I mentioned surprising steps – so how about a guitar driven take on eighties synthpop anthem Never Ending Story? I wasn’t too keen at first, I don’t mind telling you, but repeated listens have eased my fevered mind; The track does stick out like a sore thumb from Smith’s original material, but the trio – rounded out by drummer Rik Pratt – deliver the track with enough pizazz to render criticism pointless, in the process turning the song into a chugging, uplifting tune that hangs heavy with the whiff of The Manic Street Preachers… As a Welshman I heartily approve!

The autographical Oblivion Kids brings things almost to a rousing finish, heading straight back to the late seventies with some Lizzyish guitars bolted onto the sort of pub rock anthem Eddie and The Hot Rods would have been proud to put their name to. In other words – another winner.

El Encantador makes another appearance, this time ushering in closing instrumental No More Mr. Bad Guy, and that’s it – I really can’t remember having this much fun reviewing an album in a long time, and I think you’ll want to be with the Oblivion kids too after a few listens to this beautiful slab of feelgood fun…

Charm Offensive is out now.