MR BAD LUCK by SOUNDHOOSE | ALBUM REVIEW | POP PUNK RADIO

For Fans Of: Foo Fighters, Motley Crue, Linkin Park

Review: A famous animated school groundskeeper once said "Ach! Turn off the noosle... the noosle at the end of the hoose!" "This one?" I ask while pointing at the Mr Bad Luck LP by Soundhoose. On second thought, turn it back on!

"Mr Bad Luck" is a breath of fresh air and a reminder that California is a huge state that includes much more than just Los Angeles and San Francisco. Their video for the album's title track features the band members jamming away in front of an abandoned RV somewhere out in the hills of Santa Clarita. Theme park enthusiasts might be familiar with the area as home to Six Flags' Magic Mountain.

Remember that movie from the 80s when Clark Griswold and his family went on vacation, and on the vacation they drove all the way across country with his family to go to a theme park, but when they got to the theme park the theme park was closed and basically ruined their vacation? Until Clark Griswold went nuts and forced the security guard to let them in and go on rides with them? I think it was called "The Family That Went To A Theme Park."

Too young for that reference? Ok, how about that 90s sitcom Step By Step with the privileged suburban family that had the lame theme song and during the lame theme song they showed a montage of the family going on rides, ending with an aerial shot of a beach-side roller-coaster? Well that big wooden roller-coaster definitely wasn't anywhere near the beach. I guess Hollywood didn't think a parking lot would look as nice, so they unpaved parking lot and put up a paradise.

:::"Boo this man!"::::

In any case, the album opens with marching snare and bass drum beats while the guitar opens with distorted chords that take one back to the power anthems of rock's glory days. That's not to say that this is an "80s band" by any means. Soundhoose are a modern band of young rockers that happen to have elements of big hair and synth rock mixed in with their punk / alternative-rock edge. A product of a musician who was raised on the greats of the era like Queen, Poison, & Motley Crue.

"It's my time now... one opportunity's all I need" sings Brandon Smith, who also goes by the alter-ego of Mr Bad Luck; "You tried to knock me down but I got back up, cause I didn't hear no bell." It is often said that life is what happens when you are busy making other plans. "Mr Bad Luck" is a song about walking "through the gates of Hell" and making the "best of (one's) hand." A theme that carries throughout the first part of the album.

The album begins with a rock 'n roll feel before venturing in to synth-rock territory at the album's mid-point with "My Best Friend's Girl," where influences such as Duran Duran, David Bowie, and Depeche Mode are more prevalent. The dueling halves of Brandon Smith and his Mr Bad Luck alter-ego give Soundhoose a mixed bag of tools with enough variety to keep things interesting while also maintaining a cohesive overall sound.

Rating: 7.5 / 10 - Mr Bad Luck is a modern alternative-rock album that fans of the all-time rock 'n roll greats can get in to while also speaking to a new generation.

Ps... don't do an internet search for "willy noosle" unless you're actually looking for "king size sex pasta." You have been warned.