Lucky (Nada Surf album)

Last updated
Lucky
Nada Surf Lucky.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 5, 2008 (2008-02-05)
RecordedMarch – August 2007
Studio Robert Lang, Seattle
Genre Alternative rock, indie rock
Length42:35
Label Barsuk
Producer John Goodmanson, Tom Beaujour
Nada Surf chronology
The Weight Is a Gift
(2005)
Lucky
(2008)
If I Had A Hi-Fi
(2010)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 77/100 link
Review scores
SourceRating
AbsolutePunk.net (92%) link
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AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg link
Crawdaddy! (favorable) link
NME (7/10) link
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Lucky is the fifth album by alternative rock band Nada Surf. It was released on Barsuk in 2008.

Contents

Recording

Frontman Matthew Caws said, "I feel like it is a pretty heavy record, and that is a product of John Goodmanson, the guy who made it because even the songs that were even moderately rocking – now that they are mixed and mastered, they feel like they are really kickin’ even when they are relatively quiet, so that’s thanks to him. I think it is a little heavier than Let Go, but it’s not as heavy as The Proximity Effect." [1]

Release

In 2007, the band issued a statement asking for testimonies revolving around the word "Lucky", in order to include them to the album artwork.

The song "See These Bones" premiered on the Anti-Hit List Podcast on October 20, 2007. [2] Due to a misquotation of Matthew Caws, the album was first expected to be called Time for Plan A.

The album was made available for streaming through their Myspace profile on February 4 2008, and was released through Barsuk Records the following day. [3] It was released in the UK and Japan on February 18, 2008. The original pressing includes a 4-song bonus disc. In March and April 2008, the band embarked on a tour of the US; the first half was supported by the Little Ones, while the second half was covered by What Made Milwaukee Famous. [4]

Reception

The album was met with moderate success and favorable reviews. Lucky reached #82 on the Billboard 200. The single, "See These Bones", was listed by The Times as one of London's Best Songs of 2008, and described it as "2008's most overpoweringly propulsive and gloriously euphoric song". [5]

Scott Hutchison of the band Frightened Rabbit cited the album as one as his favorites: [6]

An album as a whole that I love is Lucky by Nada Surf. "See These Bones," that to me is a person, and an album, and a song. My girlfriend, Courtney, is completely embodied in that album. Every time I listen to it, it's like she's there, and that's really helped me a lot. It's really strange to have an album be a person. It's the first time I've kind of thought about it in that way, but it's true, and that brings a comfort in itself. The music is super comforting because it's got amazing harmonies. The thing I love about Nada Surf is you don't give a shit what year it is, they still sound like 1995. They've done it on their new album (You Know Who You Are) as well. I love that band. [7]

Scott Hutchison, Podcart (December 15, 2016)

Track listing

All tracks written by Matthew Caws, Daniel Lorca and Ira Elliot, except where noted.

  1. "See These Bones" 5:10
  2. "Whose Authority" 3:01
  3. "Beautiful Beat" 4:38
  4. "Here Goes Something" 2:05
  5. "Weightless" 3:32
  6. "Are You Lightning?" 5:23
  7. "I Like What You Say" 3:08
  8. "From Now On" 2:35
  9. "Ice on the Wing" 3:48
  10. "The Fox" 5:40
  11. "The Film Did Not Go 'Round" (Greg Peterson) 3:46

The release in France includes an additional track: "Je t'attendais".

Track listing for bonus disc

  1. "Whose Authority" (acoustic)
  2. "I Like What You Say" (acoustic)
  3. "I Wanna Take You Home"
  4. "Everyone's on Tour"

Guest appearances

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References

  1. Henderson, Steve. "Nada Surf - 10.16.07". absolutepunk.net. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  2. "Anti-Hit List - Oct. 20" . Retrieved 3 October 2016.
  3. Raub, Jesse (February 4, 2008). "Nada Surf: 'Lucky'". Punknews.org. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  4. Paul, Aubin (January 10, 2008). "Nada Surf". Punknews.org. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  5. "The Times | UK News, World News and Opinion". Entertainment.timesonline.co.uk. 2010-03-25. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
  6. Hutchison, Scott [@owljohn] (January 21, 2018). "These are my favourite albums of all the albums" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  7. Rifai, Halina (19 December 2016). "The Scott Hutchison Podcast". podcart.co. Retrieved 23 August 2019.