Lucky Day - Rise & Fall

Grade: B+
by Phil Bowles
 
Upon first listen, one would be surprised to learn that Lucky Day is not signed. The Washington, DC based quartet writes a catchy, radio-friendly pop song that any producer would salivate over instantly. It will be of no surprise if their new full-length album, Rise & Fall, catapults them to even greater success.

Many of the tracks, such as "Why'd You Have To Go?" and "Fly Into The Sun" convey a pop-rock sensibility that at the same time is comlpex and interesting. Each member of the group, which consists of vocalist/keyboardist Victoria Patchen, guitarist Brian Huber, bassist Eric Belec (who also moonlights on mandolin for the country-tinged "Better"), and drummer David Ray, contributes an equal amount of musicianship to the overall sound.

Patchen, at times, reminds the listener of No Doubt's Gwen Stefani (before she was a Holla Back Girl). Her voice and her harmonies compliment the songs on the album amazingly. The rhythm section of Belec and Ray lock impressively, especially in the aforementioned track "Fly Into The Sun," whose introductory section carries a hint of a latter-day Red Hot Chili Peppers influence. Huber's guitars are textured very smoothly, at times calling to mind sonic images of "The Bends"-era Radiohead.

The only lacking point in the record seems to be some of the lyrics. This doesn't hinder the group at all though, as many of the songs are so catchy that this album will befriend the radio airwaves in no time.

For more information, check out Myspace.com/LuckyDayBand or go to LuckyDayBand.com