Review by Shannon Shumaker
I don’t think I’ve ever been able to say that I’ve fallen in love with a band within just a few seconds of listening to one song, but Bad Luck has thankfully managed to change that for me. The first line of “Willoughby,” the first track on Cold Bones is so powerful that I was in love within seconds and I was just even more blown away as the song continued to progress. With a track so anathematic and muti-dimensional as “Willoughby,” I knew that I was in for a treat with Cold Bones, and boy, was I right.
If I had to choose one word to describe this album, it would be “brilliant.” While the beginning of “Willoughby” sounds similar to modern pop-punk bands such as The Wonder Years, by the end of the song, I’m convinced that they’re the next Taking Back Sunday. They manage to mix a perfect amount of punk and old school emo into this album, and just when I think I’ve figured Bad Luck out, a track like “Threat Level Midnight” with some unexpected unclean vocals comes in and mixes things up just to keep me on my toes.
The vocals on Cold Bones are easily the selling point on this album for me because they don’t sound like anything that any other band is doing right now. The harmonies in every song are absolutely gorgeous and, at times, even jaw dropping and goose bump inducing. One of the strongest songs, both lyrically and vocally on Cold Bones is definitely the slow, emotional acoustic track, “Lantern Park.” But to discuss the vocals and lyrics without mentioning how amazingly the music and overall songwriting compliments them would be a crime. There honestly isn’t one moment of one song on this album that sounds out of place, making it nearly impossible for me to choose a favorite track.
As of lately, I’ve been quick to judge a band or lump them into a category with other similar artists, but Bad Luck has come in, shaken things up, and given me an amazing album to listen to for the rest of the summer. Bad Luck is just the perfect mixture of emo and punk and if anything is going to put this group of talented musicians on the map, it will be Cold Bones. By the time that the last track on the album faded out, I was ready to hit repeat, already humming the first lines of “Willoughby” to myself again. Bad Luck has really managed to create something truly amazing and unique with Cold Bones, and I’m excited to see where this album takes them.
Rating: 5/5
Listen to “Willoughby”