Brandon Butler has himself quite the career going. He first made waves leading emo notables Boys Life to two respected albums in the late '90s and later his more indie-sounding Farewell Band to one modest release. After that, he focused his modest talents on muddling around with the country/folk Canyon, while finding time here and there to work on his solo output. Lucky Thumbs is already the sophomore full-length effort to find funding under his own name. Naturally, none of that is going to make said album any better than it is.
Now, I make it no secret that I like to support indie music as best as I can, but I just can’t behind this Thumbs album. Brandon’s lightly grizzled voice spikes the same vein as Tom Petty, but without the lyrical weight to back it up. Under that, the opening track “Sparks” mumbles out pretty much the same banal, 40-year-old, hard-boiled soft rock Tom Cochrane used to spew. Granted, Butler walks the walk with a little more strut than stuffy old Tom, but they’re on the same path there. While the vocals stay consistent throughout, the album begins to settle down musically immediately afterwards. When “Happy Sound (Dark & Pretty)” introduces more contemplative folk elements, namely the fiddle of Winston Yu, hope shakes off the cobwebs and emerges. I find the hometown Kansas boy compellingly exudes introspection in this state, so it’s a real wonder to hear that disappear in the more radio-aimed, upbeat numbers. Good things aren’t meant to last, though, and Lucky Thumbs ends up being about half and half. The mushy guitar sound doesn’t do it for me in the rocking out department, but when it’s not jamming, it seems like something is not quite right. All told, it’s not something I’d consider all that lucky. Cowbell won’t help; I think I need a little more dirt and balls here.
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