Lucky 757 - Memphis Sun

Rockabilly, like any other musical genre, seems to have its up and down cycle. It seems that it has been on a down for a while, but Portsmouth, Virginia quartet Lucky 757 seem to be working hard to turn things around. Again. Their new EP Memphis Sun is a step in that direction, and while it is a question what it will do for Rockabilly in general, it deserves to do a bit more for them.

Usually, the problem with young bands who get excited about the sound of the 50s is that they don’t make a true connection with the music they are trying to get involved in, with little respect for either R'n'B or Country, the genres that had so much influence on rockabilly, or they think that it is enough just to play fast, loud and shoddy and presto! - there’s their rockabilly sound.

On the other hand, Lucky 757 seem to have the harder route - really going back to the roots and trying to perfect their sound as much as possible. Something has to do with the fact that it is lead by a father and son guitar combination of Danny and Cory and a very solid rhythm section of Sam Haga (bass) and Angel Lopez (drums).

They started out back in 2015 with a self-titled album and followed it relatively quickly with a second one, only to make an interesting surf/spaghetti western detour in 2018 with Lonesome Lagoon, their third. Memphis Sun takes them back to the country-tinged side of rockabilly, as well as to Sun Studios in Memphis for a live in the studio session with Rev. Horton Heat’s piano player Matt Jordan. The three tracks here showcase the fact that the band has truly got their sound to a pat, not only in its spirit but also in the excellent playing, well complemented by Jordan’s keyboards.

While “Enough to Make A Grown Man Cry” and “Memphis Sun” are the ’standard’ Rockabilly stompers that are executed almost to perfection, “She Ain’t Afraid of No Man” is a slow burner showing why Rockabilly turned to be such a good marriage between country and R'n'B. Lucky 757 make the sound they are after sound fresh again.