JackPot Luck is the solo side-project of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Gary Bonanni. Bonnani and his wife, LiLach, have worked the previous ten years together in their band Just Married, releasing three albums and touring the United States, Canada, Europe and Israel. Gary, who is a seasoned musician, has been working on this solo outing of his throughout the years by writing, recording, engineering and producing songs in his home studio. The project has been named JackPot Luck because Gary believed that’s what it would take for his music to see the light of day. His dedication seems to have paid off as Jackpot Luck’s self-titled EP was released early this year in January.
The album in itself sounds like an effort by a full-fledged band, rather than just a one man army. Every sound or beat on the album is the single-handed work of Gary – be it guitars, drums, bass, piano, organs, percussion or synth. The talent and genius of the man is showcased in six great tracks that have been mixed by Alon Lotringer, who took an interest in Gary’s music and helped it to ‘see the light of day’.
The first track on the album is the guitar driven rock song A Clown Around Here. The throaty vocals provide the feeling of rawness and lengthy outro of the song has Gary singing “I don’t wanna feel this way / I want it to go away” in a way that bears soul.
The next song on the record is The Saddle, which is driven by the feeling of wanting to leave a place. The harsh guitar riffs, while present, are gentler here to match the mood of the song. The guitar solo outro of the song makes you move your head along with it.
The soft echoes of “Got no country ‘cause there’s no time for losing a war / Like a love not meant to be” are just the beginning to the third track Ugly Garden. The song has a gloomy vibe to it and has some lyrical foreshadowing such as “And there’s no heaven anymore / in this ugly garden” and “the past goes so fast you can’t hold it at all”. The backing vocals on this track are sung by Bonanni’s wife LiLach.
Head Full Of Stone uses spoken word approach to its lyrics with melodic rock in the background. The song is dreamy and reminds you of the opening music in a film about teenage angst. The short chorus is remarkably catchy with its sudden turn of funky instrumentals that have a Neutral Milk Hotel vibe to them.
The fifth track on the album is Careless Talking which is again mostly guitar-driven with Gary crooning “Careless talking, free what’s in your head / A soft tugging, keeps you cold and dead”. The song seems to be about the sort of impact that hurtful criticism can make. It also goes to prove Gary’s talent as a songwriter.
The final track The Feeling is different than the other tracks, as it is relatively more aggressive and angsty. Gary creates a blend of groovy guitar work teamed with grungy vocals. He sings about ‘the feeling’, which is being conveyed by his powerful vocals undeniably. The song ends by getting progressively quieter until all you can hear is the ghost of his music in your head.
Jackpot Luck’s six-tracked self-titled EP is a unique work of art and just a taste of what one man has to offer. The music and the lyrics are anything but forgettable. The album offers the perfect blend of classic rock and grunge with modern influences. In my opinion, Jackpot Luck is best described as MGMT gone rogue or a much gentler, less grungy Neutral Milk Hotel. The tracks that standout on this EP are “A Clown Around Here”, “Head Full of Stone” and “The Feeling”.
Rating: 8/10
Purchase Link: https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/garybonanni
Markus Carter
