Hootie & the Blowfish
Looking for Lucky
(Sneaky Long/Vanguard)
First Appeared in The Music Box, August 2005, Volume 12, #8
Written by John Metzger
Seemingly overnight, Hootie & the Blowfish went from selling its music out of
the back of a van to achieving multi-platinum sales figures with its major label
debut Cracked Rear View. Fame, however, is fleeting, and 11 years later,
the group has slipped so far from its superstar status that the release of its
last outing received less attention than did front man Darius Rucker’s recent
decision to don a rhinestone cowboy suit in order to hock sandwiches for a
fast-food chain. On its latest effort Looking for Lucky, the ensemble has
reunited with producer Don Gehman, who assisted in sculpting the band’s biggest
hits, and not surprisingly, the result is largely the same. Indeed, throughout
the collection’s 12 tracks, Hootie & the Blowfish earnestly delivers its
inoffensively endearing blend of pop-leaning, roots-oriented rock with all the
easy-going, feel-good effervescence that its long-standing fans have come to
expect. Unfortunately, this time around, the melodies aren’t nearly as memorable
as those on its past endeavors, and despite the song cycle’s genesis with the
Nashville music scene, it isn’t until the final few tracks that the collective
truly takes advantage of its surroundings. As a result, Looking for Lucky
is about as straightforward and safe an album as Hootie & the Blowfish ever has
created. 
Of Further Interest...
Counting Crows - Recovering the Satellites
Bruce Hornsby - Greatest Radio Hits
Looking for Lucky is available from Barnes & Noble.
To order, Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2005 The Music Box