Gritty and funky, The Lucky Losers come from the Bay Area of
California, and are the duo of Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz. Most of
their songs are built around their strong vocals, either duet or solo,
and a devotion to the '60's/'70's Stax/Volt/Hi Records sound. They do
that exceptionally well, including a vein of the psychedelic blues that
came along at that point, and lots of modern, electric grooves.
Backed
by a team of West Coast all-star players, the duo leave lots of room
for those musicians to shine as well, and the album features a ton of
stand-out parts, including some blistering solos from guitarist Laura
Chavez on Supernatural Blues and fun violin by Annie Staninec (Rod
Stewart) on Make A Right Turn. Berkowitz provides a soulful harmonica
thoughout as well, a necessary ingredient for the grit. Berkowitz and
Lemons have a cool blend, with his smoother, higher range and her gutsy
toughness, although she can get sweet too, providing the second part in
Bulldogs & Angels. Most importantly though, it's all new material,
the two each writing a wide selection of material, with lots of social
comment, not just the boy-girl stories that duets albums often get stuck
on. It may be based on a retro sound but it still feels fresh and
forward-moving.
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