The Lucky Ones

While Nirvana broke through to the mainstream, Mudhoney were the lovable underdogs who’d actually gotten there first. This 2008 release, their eighth studio wonder, strips the band down to its raw essentials. Recorded in three and a half days with producer Tucker Martine, The Lucky Ones delivers a garage rock buzz that well represents the band’s roots in loose, sweaty, primitive, and excited rock anthems. Singer Mark Arm howls like a vintage ‘60s garage-rocker, aiming for notes by neighborhood not by precise address, throwing his Iggy Pop swagger into the groove. Arm relinquishes all guitar roles to Steve Turner, who overdubs some fine, twisted psychedelic guitar solos. The sound is accordingly leaner and more direct. Dan Peters’ drums connect to every riff, accenting the visceral power of basic ravers like “I’m Now,” “Inside Out Over You,” and “The Open Mind.” The title track, the album’s longest cut at nearly five minutes, even includes a short stretch where Peters’ intense percussive work is given its own platform (not exactly a drum solo, per se, but pretty close). Working quickly means Mudhoney never overthink the situation and just go for broke.