Hootie & The Blowfish - Looking For Lucky Review
by Scott Slapp

I blame Hootie & The Blowfish for most of what is wrong with music today. They along with Celine Dion and Matchbox Twenty brought us an era a blandness in popular music not heard since the early 70s when the hippies were coming down off of heavy drugs. The music was beyond insipid, it was downright commercial schlock that was capable of giving you a lobotomy by just listening to it ad nasium on the radio and Darius Rucker wins the prize for the most monotone voice in popular music... even today. Bland, bland, bland! 

So has the shelling of burgers and a major downturn in popularity once the public came to their senses had any effect on these blowfish? Will they surprise us with a modern masterpiece and forever silence those that loath them with the fire of a thousand suns? After giving Looking For Lucky a listen, I can assure you that this band does indeed still blow. And if anything, this VD, I mean CD, is a far worse assault upon mankind that Rear View was. 

Darius tries as he might to break out of his limitations but the first track is an indication that Mr. Monotone is still alive and well. The song itself sounds like a Shania Twain reject. Heavy on cheese and light on imagination. Of course, this is Hootie so we can't really expect anything remotely innovative. 

The commercial mind-numbing fodder continues with "Hey Sister Pretty" and if anything Darius' vocal range shrinks. The song sounds a bit like a Sister Hazel outtake. "The Killing Stone" sounds like the Blowfish are seeking an audience with contemporary Christian fans. "I Wanna Hold your Hand Part XV," I mean "Get Out Of My Mind," contains everything that made Hootie and The Blowfish the poster children for mindless 90s softrock. "Another Year's Gone By" is another predictable middle of road song that inspires sleep more than foot tapping. Finally with "Can I See You," Darius stretches his instrument a bit but it still doesn't save this song from being a cheesefest. 

At last, with "A Smile" the band breakout with something a bit listenable and not overly predictable but it's a little too little, a little too late to save this clunker. "One Love" is about as trite as you can get. I mean the lyrics would make the writers from Hallmark laugh at their over sentimentality. "Leaving" could have been a decent song and a nice breakout in style but the band's lack of imagination hinders that from happening. 

"Autumn Jones" sounds like the Blowfish were hunting through the Counting Crows trashcan for scraps. The song may have worked if a decent vocalist like Adam Duritz was on hand but once again the curse of Darius "Monotone" Rucker lays waste to the musical landscape. 

Ladies and gentlemen, the Nobel Prize for cliché is here by awarded to Hootie and the Blowfish for "Free To Everyone". Sir Paul McCartney is saddened to lose the honor he has held for over two decades after the release of "Silly Love Songs", since his clichés were intentional and Hootie's comes from lack of style and creativity. 

Just when you think that the metrosexual soundtrack couldn't get any worse, Hootie and Co delivers their coup de grace to credible popular music with "Waltz Into Me". Only if I have a shiv so we can end the painful crime against humanity that is Hootie and the Blowfish. 

I know that Hootie fans are going to shout me down for this review and that's fine because I can take you no more seriously that I can this band. At least they do it to cash in, what is your excuse for buying this mindless shlock? A lack of taste? A fastfood mentality? Do yourself a favor and skip this CD and buy Frank Black's new one instead. Darius can make his money selling burgers and you'll end up with a quality album instead of this trite dreck. 
 

antiGUY contributed to this review

Hootie & The Blowfish - Looking For Lucky 

Label:Has Been Records
Rating:

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