Review Summary: Pure female artistry.
Lunachicks, while not being the most technical or cohesive band ever have released one or two good albums throughout their career. The album that broke the most ground for these ladies was
Jerk Of All Trades and their success waned through the
Pretty Ugly period, but it appeared they would pick themselves up with this female punk-ish masterpiece known only as
Luxury Problem.
One would be amused to find that this album entails some of their most critical lyrical deliveries yet, whether it has to do with famous females and how "it's never enough" as Theo Kogan claims, being the first person to do really dumb things to prove how bad she is or the fact that she wants someone to start to "say what they mean" rather than lie to people, one should be prepared for some uncanny yet seemingly thought-provoking lyrics yet.
There are times where production may come off as a little raw and pretentious, but in this case, it wouldn't disappoint as the extremely poppy-sounding drums of Susan Rebecca Lloyd melds well with the punk-to-buzzsaw transitioning of Gina Volpe's rhythym guitar which is topped off with the pulsing of Sydney Silver's bass, which is more of an echo than anything else. Notably, "Say What You Mean" pulls the aforementioned formula off perfectly without a hitch. The grunge-sounding "Shut You Out" would put anything released from Brokencyde to shame although it does follow a basic grunge beat.
There are points in this album where the vocal work of Theo also shines its holy light. There is quite a profound melodic beauty to her voice, but it still manages to offer a rather edgy tone as is exemplified in what is, undoubtedly, the albums highlight which is entitled "Less Teeth, More Tits". Towards the end of said track, her voice almost sounds semi-operatic. One will find that her voice also aces on the one and a half minute epic "I'll Be The One" with the exception of the minor pitch problem that taints the last line of the second verse, apart from this, it does real well.
Now we are heading towards the iceberg that is "Subway". It starts off with the sound of a subway car pulling into the station and a man's voice briefly heard, but then it kicks into a slow, melancholy tune with what appears to be Theo's attempt at a blues-influenced metallic song. Problem is, it comes off sounding odd and the drumming in the background would be rather distracting if it wasn't for the song's poorly delivered vocal work. "At The Pub" is also another track one should avoid. It sounds like a wannabe of the NOFX classic "Beer Bong" but comes off empty-handed. Also, the shouting and hollering in the background becomes quite irritable, even if the track is only 1:30.
This is just one of those records that are alot of fun, and even if there is a dud or two present on the record, there's something here for all to enjoy. This will appeal to lovers of the female punk/metal scene, fanboys/girls of this paticular band or casual fans of the rock scene. This album makes for good listening on a saturday night.
