Now seasoned veterans of SXSW, Sheffield’s The Crookes return to Austin with treasures in tow: ten brand new tracks that make up their 2016 full-length album, Lucky Ones, which follows Dreams of Another Day EP, released when the band first appeared at SXSW in 2010, Chasing After Ghosts (2011), Hold Fast (2012), and Soapbox (2014).
That blend of jovial, free-wheeling personality and punch-filled music that’s built The Crookes fan base over the years is as prevalent as ever on Lucky Ones. But there has been a shift, as one might expect, in the two years since making Soapbox, which was fueled by the frustrations of being a working band for years while struggling to make ends meet.
In my 2014 interview with George Waite (vocals, bass guitar) and Tom Dakin (guitar), prior to their SXSW return that year, we discussed the higher level of ferocity that was evident on Soapbox, an apt title. “That’s where the bite comes from,” explained George, “Instead of putting that frustration, and that sort of anger to one side, like we might have done on the other albums, we let it come to forefront on this.”
That cathartic journey seemed to have done the trick, as Lucky Ones, both from a point of lyrics by Dan Hopewell (who took over word crafting on Soapbox and continues that role on Lucky Ones) and in a musical thematic sense overall, the group seems to have come out the other side, feeling gratitude for where they are now musically and in their careers, embracing this life of making rock and roll and all the experiences that come with it.
In September of 2015 they gave fans a taste with the first single release, “I Wanna Waste My Time On You,” and in December it was “The World Is Waiting.” The video released for “The World Is Waiting” popped out in January, featuring the band pals corralled in a backyard bar-b-que party in very Hindu Holi Colour Festival sense, but their shindig takes place in a bricked space just large enough to park one’s car. It’s fitting though, as these four guys and their friends have a field day with the purple, pink, yellow and green powder as George sings, “You know we gotta do somethin’ / There is a world and it’s waiting for you.”
Right out of the gate on track one, the mindset is one of a “Brand New Start,” a short but sweet sunrise of a song, simple and slow, but filled with promise and light. “I Wanna Waste My Time On You” is built for doing a sway and swing on the dance floor, tapping a bit of The Cure on the guitar lines and with a slice of “Just Like Heaven” drum licks. More 80s influences arise on “Roman Candle” between the glorious flight of Waite’s vocals and modern rock touches in the song’s overall melody, and as well on the title track that has hints of a sharp-dressed keyboard persona.
The stream-only version of Lucky Ones was published on Culture Collide prior to the album’s release on January 29 (Modern Outsider in the U.S. and The Crookes’ own label, Anywhere Records and on iTunes, in the U.K. and Europe), and I’ve received confirmation that The Crookes, including newcomer, Adam Crofts on drums, will be a part of Culture Collide’s SXSW event programming, a SXSW party favorite. Right now, as with most music-related SXSW schedules, it’s all pending, but we’ll be posting those dates as they’re released.
What is confirmed is the Lucky Ones U.S. Tour:
03/15-20 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
03/22 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
03/23 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
03/24 – Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Fest
03/25 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
03/26 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
03/29 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
03/30 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
03/31 – Oakland, CA @ The New Parish
04/01 – Santa Barbara, CA @ SoHo
04/02 – San Diego, CA @ The Irenic
04/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
04/05 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Bunkhouse
04/06 – Albuquerque, NM @ Rio Bravo Brewing
04/08 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock
04/10 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
04/11 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
04/13 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
04/14 – Boston, MA @ Middle East
04/15 – Stanhope, NJ @ Stanhope House
04/16 – New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom
04/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Lucky Ones track listing:
01. Brand New Start
02. The World Is Waiting
03. I Wanna Waste My Time On You
04. If Only For Tonight
05. The Lucky Ones
06. Six Week Holiday
07. Real Life
08. Roman Candle
09. No One Like You
10. Brand New Start Pt. II
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