Mudhoney
The Lucky Ones
Sub Pop / Tuba!

Legendary grunge band - one of the originals, pioneers - before the fashion and hype sky rocketed - Mudhoney have come up with a new album. It's their 8th album proper, celebrating their 20th (!) anniversary - an anniversary (both for Mudhoney as well as the Sub Pop label) including a re-release of the classic Superfuzz Bigmuff EP [as a deluxe, remastered edition which Sub Pop were hoping to re-title Superduperfuzz Biggermuff]. Is the days of flannel really that far back in time...

The Lucky Ones is said to be recorded over just a handful of days. Mark Arm, Steve Turner, Dan Peters and Guy Maddison (bassist since 2002's Since We've Become Translucent) still know their raw rock (Iggy and the Stooges style). Mostly plain and simple (meaning simplistic, done without exaggeration or fancy, trendy styling). The title track is of he better tracks, and "And the Shimmering Light" is a new side of Mudhoney - sounding a bit like a late 1970s new wave song. The rest, well, I find the material sliding by my pair of ears I'm sorry to say. The Lucky Ones doesn't really excite me, but Mudhoney are still a sympathetic gang. The wild grunge bunch, 20 years older. The drums and bass shows real energy, the guitars are a fuzzed up frenzy, and Mark Arm on top of his lungs many a time with his rather dry vocals. Mudhoney are a band of for the loyal fans. New-comers should check their files and archives before hopping on to the new stuff.

Copyright © 2008 Håvard Oppøyen