Lugosi

Edward 40 Oz. Hands (2005)

Brian Shultz

Lugosi offer up a very clean-sounding EP that you could either describe as three parts Green Day / one part Jawbreaker, or a more "alive," well-produced Horace Pinker or Screeching Weasel at their most accessible moments. It's very crystal clear, three-chord up-tempo pop-punk with just the right amout of distortion, quiet backup "ahhhs" and requisite clashing guitars throughout.

The Horace Pinker of the comparison is especially noticable in "Bottom of the Bay," but again, it's with better production than HP have ever been blessed with I'm sure. Its six songs don't offer much in the way of variety, but it's a fairly quality, immensely professional-sounding release that definitely carries potential to please deviant followers of the band's style (that being a mix of equal parts Ramones and, basically, the 15 billion Ramones followers that popped up in the late `80s / early `90s, with a fairly glossy sheen only Green Day would eventually receive).

Lugosi have a decent sound, and definitely sound like a band who already know what they're doing on what's only their debut. I can't see myself really spinning this too much more often, but for what it is, it's not bad, even if it's an awfully overdone style by this point.

MP3
Born to Booze

STREAM
Last Call
Bottom of the Bay

VIDEO (WINDOWS MEDIA)
Born to Booze