The Secret Handshake's new album My Name Up In Lights will have you grooving out all night long - if you can get past the mediocrity of it, that is.
In the past few years, electronic dance rock bands have been popping up like weeds. As with any other genre of music, it has its ups and downs.
There are success stories like Hellogoodbye and the infamous 3oh!3Band. But then there are others, such as new scene sensation Metro Station, who induce cringes at the mere mention of their name; The Secret Handshake falls somewhere in the middle of this electronic dance scale.
The most impressive thing about The Secret Handshake is that it's just one guy: Luis Dubuc. My Name Up In Lights is the second full-length label release from Dubuc and, though the album is pegged as having 10 tracks, it may seem like there's really only one or two.
The album offers one huge flow - there is no diversity. Every song on the album sounds eerily similar. Each track is made up of the same three elements. First, we have Dubuc's synthesized vocals that rarely, if ever, range outside one or two notes. Then we get the basic techno backbeat that's reminiscent of every dance song. Lastly is addition of mediocre keyboard accompaniment, which seems to be Dubuc's M.O.
Receptiveness aside, the album does contain a few songs guaranteed to make you get down like a tight jean-wearing preteen scenester.
Opener "All For You" is one of the better songs on the album. This inspirational piece is all about believing in yourself and your friends. With its catchy upbeat chorus, "All For You" is like a can of Pringles, once you pop the fun don't stop.
The second track on the album, "TGIF," is another promising track. The music in this song isn't anything spectacular, but the lyrics will immediately transport you back to the '90s.
"Step by step these are family matters/ Why boy meets world I'll never ever know/ Who's the boss here? It's the fresh prince/ We've got a full house let's get this show on the road," Dubuc sings.
The Secret Handshake may not be the best dance band out there, but they certainly have potential. If Dubuc can get a little more creative with his music, the band could go far.
Especially if he managed to learn the Carlton dance for live shows.
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
