Artist: Lucky Boys Confusion
EP: How to Get Out Alive
Label: Townstyle Records/ Reincarnate Music
Tracks: 5
Length:  15:33
Review by: John Durkee

The Chicago based quintet Lucky Boys Confusion recently released their self released EP How to Get Out Alive in conjunction with Reincarnate Music (BMG/Sony). This EP is the latest release from the Boys since the now defunct Elektra records died on them. The bitterness of being left without a label is present on How to Get Out Alive, but it’s a fun ride. Lucky Boys Confusion plays a very energetic and fun pop punk that is refreshing to hear with all the various pop punk bands following the pop emo trend or getting political or pretentious.

The record starts with “The Struggle” and its strong riffs and good usage of acoustic guitar to make better dynamics when the speed and harder elements of the electric guitar come in. The EP’s second track, “Cigarettes,” is probably the EP’s weakest track, but still has great vocals (as present on the whole album) and a catchy guitar hook. “When Bad News Gets Worse” is a great rocker with an awesome chorus, good guitar lines and strong vocals. Vocalist Kaustubh Pandav’s delivery is fervent, impassioned and urgent while in tune and powerful (a rarity in anything related to punk music these days). He’s especially powerful in “Like Rats from a Sinking Ship,” when he sings, “New York City you weren’t good to me, your love for me was insincere. Big city, you made me disappear.” The Boys end the EP with a cover of the Dramarama song “Anything, Anything (I’ll Give You)” and is a pumped up and angst filled version that is far more energetic and desperate sounding than the original.

It should be stated that while I thoroughly enjoy this EP, it isn’t particularly innovating or creative. Virtually every song has a slowed down and quiet interlude into gang vocals, that after repeated listens seems a bit redundant throughout the album. Though the gang vocals are done very well, and its over usage is the one of the only problems that the whole EP really has.

The Lucky Boys Confusion brings about a breath of fresh air to the stale and boring genre of pop punk. This EP makes me excited that maybe there will be other great pop punk acts that will develop with incredible vocals and great melodies like the Boys.