I'm sure that we've all heard the anthemic-sounding 'Hey Driver', with its inspiring chorus of 'Hey driver to the top of the world!' I'm sure that if we've turned on the radio (or the TV, for that matter; it was featured in the Without a Paddle TV spots), then we've heard of Lucky Boys' Confusion. A remarkable underground band, Lucky Boys Confusion brings us a fifteen track album ("Commitment") that grabs us by the balls from start (well, second song) to finish. Now, granted, there are some songs on there that didn't quite meet up to expectations, but other songs made up for it. The reason I bought this CD was because the only song I'd heard was 'Hey Driver'. My friend Chad and I pooled our cash and bought it at a CD place (luckily they had it--we couldn't find it anywhere, excluding Amazon.) We listened to it that day, and since then, we've been in love...with the Lucky Boys' Confusion.
Let's start the review, shall we?
1.) Champions Dub - 2/5. Yes, the opening track is instrumental, and while it's well done, it could have been better. It has a nice-sounding Irish appeal to it, and it's an interesting use of woodwinds, and such. It features some vocals by Stubby, but really, it's not outstanding in any way, really. It's not horrible, but thankfully, it's only a minute long. Woot. And it also transfers into the next song pretty well.
2.) Hey Driver - 5/5. This is, like many, my first LBC song that I'd ever heard. It opens up with a quick power-chord riff and fantastic rhythm: while a handful of bands' drummers are offbeat, LBC is definitely not like that. Fergus is on the ball here, going all out. Very catchy, and, like Open Road Song by Eve6, is very fun to jam to while you're driving. Worthy of five stars. Supposedly Ajay Popoff from LIT is featured in here, but I haven't heard him in there.
3.) Broken - 5/5 This song is very different, and I love it. It starts out with a slow scratchy-sounding guitar riff and then blasts all-out until the verse with some rapping (I guess you'd call it that?) and then it goes into a very well sung chorus. I like it. Great song about hiding your feelings. ("Never gonna see me broken...tell me, who do you think you're defeating?")
4.) Mr. Wilmington - 6/5. This song is so worthy of six stars. Not only is this song beautifully-sung, it's got great rhyming, great verses, chorus, and music. It opens up with the band playing a gentle power chord riff with drums and bass. Then it cuts to the verses that just have the drums and bass, with an occasional guitar strum. This song is about a father whose son just committed suicide. I asked the guitarist when they played Omaha, if this song was a true story. He said it was loosely based on a friend's suicide. You can really hear the emotion in this song. It's perfect. My favorite song on the album.
5.) Beware - 5/5 Starting out with some catchy drum beats and harmonics, 'Beware' is my second favorite song. It's pretty rocking and very catchy. I find myself humming the chorus ('Beware/I swear/I will be waiting there'). I don't really understand the meaning, but it's got some clever ***ing wordplay in there ('Every single word you said is washed away by your crocodile tears'). Fantastic song.
6.) Commitment - 4/5 This song is really well-done, but it's not my favorite. They sing it better live, but the CD version is good. It starts out with some good rhythm and then goes into a good verse and chorus. It's kind of boring, personally speaking, but not bad in the least. The instrumental part towards the end features a nice-sounding organ, showing off the band's talent to use other instruments then the basic three. Definitely not worth skipping over.
7.) Atari - 5/5 This song is awesome! It was the band's second single from this album, and starts out with drums and the sounds of an Atari game being played (it sounds like Pac-Man or Centipede) and then just BLASTS into this amazing rock riff with harmonics (the tabs are wrong; those are definitely harmonics) and just wonderful verses and chorus. ('I don't wanna stand here and say I'm sorry/I just wanna drink beer and play Atari/you can tell your mom how I make my money/I don't care.') Stubby's vocals are awesome in this one, too. A must-hear. (Note: it does sound a little bit like 'Beware').
8.) Sunday Afternoon - 1/5 In my personal opinion, I think this is the worst song on the album, as well as the longest. Has anyone else noticed that worst songs are the longest? It's more of a reggae feel (don't get me wrong--I love reggae) but it's just bad, I think. Rapping? The band should stick to punk and powerpop like usual. It's difficult explaining why it's bad...but it's LBC bad...so it's well done, but...ah, ***, I can't even say that. Why, Lucky Boys Confusion?!
9.) Closer to Our Graves - 4/5 All right. Okay. You do a really bad song and what's the one way you can revive the album's perfection? Ah. 'Closer to Our Graves' is a good option. Starting off with a very good guitar riff, it jams into some very well-written verses and choruses. Amazing vocals, amazing everything. It's about wasting life and, hence the title, getting closer to our graves.
10.) Something to Believe - 4/5 Starts out with kind of a techno feel, and then goes into punk. I really don't listen to this one that much. You'd have to find out for yourself.
11.) You Weren't There - 5/5 The hardest song on the album. The band sounds MEAN here, I mean...this song alone is the reason that the album got an advisory label. ('*** it, come on!') is repeated throughout the chorus. Starts off kind of hard, then goes off into this hardcore headbanger. Definitely worth a hear. Gotta love it! Great to listen to on bad days. It really makes you want to air-guitar to.
12.) Blame - 5/5 Hard to put into words why this song is up there with "Mr. Wilmington" and every other great one, but again, like 'You Weren't There' this song has a mean feel to it, like it was written out of spite, but it's got gentle questions (What's haunting you?'). The chorus is badass: "Now you're blamin' all your friends again, friends again!" It's a good song about how people end up blaming the ones closest to them.
13.) South Union 5/5 - This song is beautiful, simply put. Running at only forty-one seconds, 'South Union' is a very gentle acoustic song about love and breakups. (At least to me it reminds me of a breakup.) Very perfectly done.
14.) Ordinary: 5/5 Another slow song (uh-oh...). Not a power ballad or anything like that. It's a mildly rocking song with a toe-tapping acoustic beat to it. Good lyrics, too. ('These days, these nights are so ordinary.') Good to listen to when you're bored. I think it's about boredom, alcoholism, and anxiety about the future.
15.) Medicine and Gasoline: 5/5 A fantastic closer that makes you do that whole "jump when they hit the power chord" thing. 'Medicine and Gasoline' is among one of the best songs on the album, with driving guitar riffs and ***ing wonderful beats. The chorus is the best part ("Here's to you, the good life and me
Here's to handshakes and losers, medicine and gasoline). Like said before, this song grabs you by the balls and really knows how to squeeze. Great, great song.
16.) (Bonus Track) Champions' Dub: ...Just as bad as the intro.
I hope you guys enjoyed my review. It took me awhile to write, but it's my personal opinion of this fantastic album.
