tvfordogs: Fickle Fate and Rock ‘n’ Roll

Masters of crisp, melodic rock shot through with longing, tvfordogs have discovered what a lot of 21st-century rock artists have: writing and playing great songs is an impractical way to pay the bills. Singer/guitarist and bandleader Neil Luckett has penned some of the most striking and memorable tunes to come out on Wampus — “Drive,” “Frozen Friend,” “Too Soon to Leave,” “Capsule Wardrobe” — but like many nuanced, distinctive creations, these haven’t left the world gasping just yet, which says a little too much, one might observe, about the world.

By Chance addresses the disconnect between passion, inspiration, talent, and the commercial machine that delivers music to the masses. The world is not a meritocracy, Luckett observes — we can’t control our fates simply by doing our best or producing something extraordinary. We can’t really control anything beyond what we value and how we spend our time. “I can’t do any more than I have,” Luckett confesses in the rollicking, hooky title track, and you can sense the karmic weight on him as he searches for the line that follows: “I raise my hands… and live by chance.”

Hello, acceptance. We get there at some point, with or without a map. Que sera, sera, whatever will be, will be.

We’re glad this time it could be By Chance.

Read: Review at The Daily Vault | Interview at Riffraf

Buy at Amazon | CD Baby | iTunes | Bandcamp (RELEASE DAY ONLY: $5)

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About Mark Doyon

I run Wampus, a creative development agency and label for emerging artists and authors. I make records as Arms of Kismet (and sometimes Waterslide), and wrote the book 'Bonneville Stories.'