Most of our first introductions to local dance outfit Goodluck were probably made upon hearing the super mellow and oh so pretty tune, “Taking it Easy”. If memory serves me correctly, last December was when this track pretty much dominated the radio waves. Images of beaches and sunsets and all things laid back would appear in my mind’s eye every time the track would play. Genius song and spot-on timing with its release.

Then came “Hop On Hop Off” – awesome lyrics from a woman’s perspective. Completely different to their first single, it was equally brilliant and the delightful realisation set in that this band would never bore us with tracks that all sound the same.

“London Sixteen66″ is their current radio hit and can also be heard blaring on a nightly basis in just about every club around the country.

As if the three above mentioned hit tracks weren’t enough to convince me to order their CD, I got blown away by one of their live performances at The Assembly a few weeks ago. Good lord do these guys put on a show! Shit hot! Once having received the album, it came as no surprise that the rest of the tracks were just as bloody fantastic!

“Stars In My Eyes” could give any one of Moby’s biggest hits a run for its money. Such a beautiful song. The track “Durty Boys” faintly reminds me of BBE’s “Seven Days and One Week” from back in the mid-90′s. However, the real genius of this song is captured in the lyrics – every woman on this planet will be able to relate – we just love them poisonous, durty boys now don’t we, ladies? Oh, and before someone wants to correct me on my spelling, FYI: ‘durty’ is the superlative form of the word ‘dirty’ when it comes to degrees of comparison. It is one degree below filthy.

The last track is ‘Kissed in Soho’. This is probably my favourite track on the album, although it’s tough to pick just one. The male vocals undoubtedly remind of Louis Armstrong (albeit in actual fact one Nathan Woodman’s vocals) and later in the song, female lead vocalist for Goodluck, Juliet Harding’s beautiful voice kicks in. It’s just such a sexy, jazzy tune and has the potential to put pharmaceutical companies out of business when it comes to the manufacturing of tranquilisers.

My favourite band of all time is Faithless. These guys had a winning recipe. NONE of their tracks sound the same. On any given Faithless CD there would be an array of different genres – baring in mind that during their last tour to South Africa, Maxi Jazz even rocked out with an electric guitar on stage. Elements of rap, dance, electro, pop, reggae, blues, jazz, rock etc. have all found their way into the Faithless repertoire. I addition to a mix of genres, a few different vocalists were used on each album which contributed to the lack of boredom.

On a local level, I am convinced that Goodluck have tapped into this same winning recipe. They have male vocals and female vocals and they blend different genres into their songs. This debut album of theirs has impressed me to no end and has become one of my favourites. It is pure summer in a compact disc casing. All-round happy tunes that could cure mild cases of depression.

Words by Liezel Thompson