TIME OFF REVIEW of MY LUCKY DAY

This latest solo album - his fourth since 2000 - sees former Hunters & Collectors multi-instrumentalist Jack Howard further stake his claim as a respected and talented Australian singer-songwriter in his own right. Throughout these 17 tracks - the first 11 of which were recorded with Howard’s band The Long Lost Brothers, and the final six of which were intimately recorded with the sole help of guitarist John Berto - Howard’s tasteful trumpet runs are predominant. At times Howard’s trumpet delivers slow, tension building drones, yet at other times it’s flamboyant and bold.

Stylistically, My Lucky Day is a mixed bag, incorporating flourishes of rollicking rock (‘Let Me Live’), lounge jazz (‘My Lucky Day’), forlorn country ballads (‘Dial A Prayer’, ‘I Am Lost’), and steamy, Latin-infused romps (‘The Red Rose’). The slow-burning ‘Restlessness’, which provides a fitting soundtrack to a lonesome, all-night binge on the couch with the lights down low, is an immediate highlight, as are the poignant ‘Don’t Fade Away’, the emotional ‘Dial-A-Prayer’, and the album’s most rock-fuelled track ‘Let Me Live’.
An adult contemporary album that youngsters unfortunately probably won’t appreciate, My Lucky Day’s mature and diverse sound will reward investment made in it by listeners of all persuasions. (3 ½ stars.)
Justin Grey – Time Off magazine (Brisbane)