Review Summary: Lucky Boys Confusion create a fun mix of pop-punk, reggae, and rap, while setting the bar for other bands
I saw that this album wasn't even on Lucky Boys Confusion's page, so I had to write up a review. So to start off, I'll introduce the band. Lucky Boys Confusion is at the core, a pop-punk band from Chicago. What's special about the band, is their ability to also combine elements of ska, reggae, rap, funk and even Latin rhythms. After several LP's, Throwing the Game, is their first major label debut.
The album starts off with “Breaking Rules”. Some sounds of a conversation at a party lead into a very typical pop-punk guitar chord progression and then busts into the first verse. Although it has a fun, energetic feel, the lyrics are on the serious side. "Lesson learned/ I looked hard and I’m to blame/ F*** it all/ Repressing thoughts of suicide A part of me three years I’ve had to hide". It's still a great opener and a catchy song.
Lucky Boys Confusion also have a great dislike of cops. "40/80" is a song built around a funky guitar riff and talks about being pulled over and searched by cops for marijuana. It displays guitarists' Adam Krier and Joe Sell skill and has a great guitar solo. "3 to 10/ CB's Caddy Part III" is about a party being busted by "pigs". The topic is simple and the lyrics are rather stupid but it shows how tight the band is musically and shows off some of their rap-punk skills.
There are plenty of good pop-punk songs on the CD, but the band excels most when they stretch their limits. "Not About Debra" is definitely a highlight song on the album. It's based around a very Latin sounding rhythm and carries on with a sort of reggae-style verse until the song explodes into a distortion-driven, catchy chorus. There's also a guitar/keyboard/saxophone jam that again, is in the vein of a Latin dance song.
Much of LBC’s lyrics are about partying or looking to move onto bigger or better things. "Saturday Night" is a song about just that and shows the band effortlessly transitioning from punk verses to a reggae chorus. “City Lights” is a ska song with horns and whole nine yards that is about moving on and looking for something better in life.
The final song, “Slip” is the band at their best. It’s a standard pop-punk song about wanting to talk to a girl but can’t, blah, blah, blah, we’ve heard it all before, but about halfway the song, after a guitar solo and a repeat of the chorus, it evolves into a reggae song. It has an almost dark feel to it and creates a great atmosphere to close the album.
Throwing the Game isn’t a masterpiece by any means, but it’s a step up from the other pop-punk mediocrity that other bands try to pull off. This album is terribly fun and has some great sing-along moments. Anyone looking for a simple album, with some substance should check this out.
