Looking for Lucky

• Artist: Hootie & The Blowfish
• Rating:
• Release Date: August 09, 2005
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Rock

Review

Hootie & the Blowfish's fifth studio effort is the first to feature extensive co-songwriting credits, as well as a few well-placed guest musicians. Recording Looking for Lucky in Nashville after wrapping up the tour for their 2004 Best Of set, Hootie & the Blowfish were joined by Fairweather Johnson producer Don Gehman as well as engineer Nick Brophy, who contributed some programming and "great noises" to the songs. That doesn't mean Darius Rucker is suddenly singing through a vocoder, or Jim Sonefeld has been replaced by the tinfoil prattle of electronic percussion. No way. Hootie & the Blowfish sound as natural as ever on Looking for Lucky, their ear for melody intact through a slick 12-song set of rootsy pop with insightful nods to country, blues, and gospel. Brophy's work is clear on "Hey Sister Pretty," where a guitar effect broods behind the main vocal and the song is mixed like a single from Train or Better Than Ezra. Rucker still sings in that rousing baritone, and the harmonies and acoustic strum tag it as Hootie. But the band's sound benefits from the slight makeover -- nothing fancy, just a slight tweak toward modernization. Elsewhere on Lucky, additional songwriting from folks like Matraca Berg and the Silos' Walter Salas-Humara brings more depth to the lyrics and arrangements. So "Smile" gives Rucker a chance to sing in a slightly higher register, while "Leaving" is a gently mischievous hybrid of progressive bluegrass and pop with New Grass Revival members Sam Bush and John Cowan guesting on mandolin, fiddle, and vocals. Other Looking for Lucky highlights include John Hobbs' organ on "Get Out of My Mind" adding punch to its already bustling chorus -- "Mind" also finds Rucker drinking alone again -- and the evocative "Killing Stone," the collaboration with Berg, which would fit nicely on a contemporary country album. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
State Your Peace	Dean Felber, Jim Sonefeld, Mark Bryan, Darius Rucker	Hootie & the Blowfish	(3:37)
Hey Sister Pretty (Lyrics)	Mark Bryan, Nick Brophy, Darius Rucker, Dean Felber, Jim Sonefeld	Hootie & the Blowfish	(3:25)
The Killing Stone	Mark Bryan, Matraca Berg, Darius Rucker, Dean Felber, Jim Sonefeld	Hootie & the Blowfish	(4:27)
Get Out of My Mind (Lyrics)	Dean Felber, Mark Bryan, Jim Sonefeld, Darius Rucker, Nick Brophy	Hootie & the Blowfish	(2:58)
Another Year's Gone By	Darius Rucker, Jim Sonefeld, Radney Foster, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber	Hootie & the Blowfish	(3:44)
Can I See You (Lyrics)	Jim Sonefeld, Darius Rucker, Dean Felber, Derek George, Mark Bryan	Hootie & the Blowfish	(3:38)
A Smile	Mark Bryan, Jim Sonefeld, Darius Rucker, Dean Felber	Hootie & the Blowfish	(3:49)
One Love	Dean Felber, Phillip Lammonds, Jim Sonefeld, Mark Bryan, Darius Rucker	Hootie & the Blowfish	(4:06)
Leaving	Jim Sonefeld, Dean Felber, Mark Bryan, Darius Rucker	Hootie & the Blowfish	(2:35)
Autumn Jones (Lyrics)	Keith Burns, Dean Felber, Jim Sonefeld, Mark Bryan, Darius Rucker	Hootie & the Blowfish	(3:27)
Free to Everyone	Jim Sonefeld, Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber	Hootie & the Blowfish	(3:23)
Waltz into Me	Jim Sonefeld, Mark Bryan, Darius Rucker, Hank Futch, Dean Felber	Hootie & the Blowfish	(3:14)

Credits

Mark Bryan (Lap Steel Guitar), Ann Smalley (Cover Design), Dean Felber (Group Member), Amy L. VonHolzhausen (Cover Design), Mark Bryan (Mandolin), John Cowan (Vocal Harmony), Jim Sonefeld (Vocals (Background)), Regina Sagna (Art Direction), John Hobbs (Piano), Mark Tucker (Photography), Greg Lawrence (Assistant), Darius Rucker (Group Member), John Hobbs (Organ), Don Gehman (Mixing), Jim Sonefeld (Group Member), Robin Geary (Hair Stylist), Don Gehman (Producer), Mark Bryan (Vocals (Background)), Dean Felber (Guitar (Bass)), Jim Sonefeld (Percussion), Mark Dearnley (Mixing), Mark Dearnley (Engineer), Matraca Berg (Vocals (Background)), Jim Sonefeld (Piano), Sam Bush (Vocal Harmony), Bob Ludwig (Mastering), Mark Bryan (Guitar), Robin Geary (Make-Up), Sam Bush (Fiddle), Sam Bush (Mandolin), Shannan Shepard (Stylist), Amy L. VonHolzhausen (Creative Director), Steve Nathan (Organ), Darius Rucker (Guitar), Darius Rucker (Vocals (Background)), Jim Sonefeld (Drums), Georgette Cartwright (Creative Services Coordinator), Mark Bryan (Group Member), John Hobbs (Mellotron), Dean Felber (Vocals (Background)), Mark Tucker (Cover Design), Ryan Newell (Slide Guitar)

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