No. 2
What Does Good Luck Bring?
In Music We Trust
Yeah, I didn’t really know much about this band (this CD came with no liner sleeve, no press release, nothing!), so I went to their Web site, only to discover that this band was formed from the ashes of Heatmiser (Elliot Smith’s rock band) by co-frontman Neil Gust. I think the Heatmiser stuff was incredible, far better than anything ever done by Elliot Smith as a solo artist, so I wasn’t expecting too much from What Does Good Luck Bring?. I’m glad I wasn’t.
No. 2 play very indifferent rock & roll, which really reminded me most of Primal Scream or The Black Crowes (minus the corniness that often goes along with Black Crowes) crossed with The Pixies or R.E.M. The band rocks for the sake of rocking, which is cool. When I was listening to this, I kept picturing a bunch of late thirty-something year old dads, in the garage, rockin’ out while the wives were shopping with the kids. The dads have their hearts into it, and are really having a great time, but they just don’t seem to have “it” anymore. Such is No. 2.
High points on this album would have to be when the band members accept their ages; “Stranger’s March” is a truly beautiful Violent Femmes-esque ditty, so wonderfully done that it gives me goosebumps! The lead singer sounds like a cross between Craig Wedren and Michael Stipe on this song. Occasional guitar notes with a weird effect on them create one of the most atmospheric tracks I’ve ever heard. More kudos to “8:45 AM” and the album’s title track, which are both fantastic songs. Overall, a pretty average album with three standout songs.
In Music We Trust Records: http://www.inmusicwetrust.com
