Good Luck

While listening to the Marlboro Chorus' debut album, Good Luck, earwitnesses will instantaneously gather that the indie rock collective is a combination of nearly every band they ever loved. If late-'80s/early-'90s college rock is dear to your heart or if the earnest rock & roll charm of everything that Elephant 6 ever released suits you nicely, chances are you'll find Good Luck to be a rare treasure. Ex-Multiple Cat creator Pat Stolley, who goes by the moniker B. Patric in the album credits, recorded the album in the basement of his house in suburban Iowa with a few friends. Fellow Tripmaster Monkey drummer Marty "Rudie" Reyhons, drummer Justin Parris (aka the Emperor Justinian), and pianist Rick Stoneking each added their own special bits and left Stolley to tailor things. Good Luck is a remarkably clever pop album in the truest sense, and despite the reference to being a chorus, the Marlboro Chorus' overall innocent sound is the one thing that's perfectly in order. From the tumbling dynamics of "The Unrulable Child" and the wavering sentiment of "Mrs. Bury-the-Bone" to the countrified licks of "The Discoverers" and the carousel-esque "Always One for Fun," Good Luck thrives on its lack of direction. The path in design changes from song to song, reflecting the fact that Stolley didn't initially have a clear purpose in mind other than to experiment on his own and make a record. Thankfully a warm impression ensued and the specialness of indie rock is discovered and cherished once more.