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All Music Guide

So even when Lucky tries to turn down the glow, it still radiates with the oomph of a solid power pop release, making Nada Surf's fifth album a fine finale for a weekend well-spent.

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Austin Chronicle

A huge cast of supporting players like Ben Gibbard, John Roderick, Sean Nelson, and Juliana Hatfield add yet more depth to what might be Nada Surf's best work yet.

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The Guardian

An album to play loud and often.

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Mojo

Possessed of hazily catchy and irresistible choruses, the end result is an endearingly affectionate blend of radio-friendly AOR and homely indie-rock touches anchoring their grand pop to something human. [Mar 2008, p.106]

Billboard

Lucky is full of jangly little gems that could put a skip in the step of even the saddest of sacks.

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Magnet

Nada Surf took it to The Next Level with 2003's near-flawless "Let Go" and has followed it up with two amazing, richly rewarding efforts. [Winter 2008, p.110]

The New York Times

While Nada Surf is only a trio, in the studio it stacks up guitars and vocals, multiplying Mr. Caws’s thin voice into a dreamy or determined chorale.

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Slant Magazine

Nada Surf have matured into a strong enough band to make an album like Lucky, which is full of such existential hand-wringing and one of the year's first great pop records.

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NOW Magazine

The group’s fifth disc is an infectious collection of bright rock songs (Whose Authority) and calm, soothing numbers (See These Bones).

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Alternative Press

Organically building upon thier contemplative-rock base, Lucky is full of intricate melodies and bridges, intense while at the same time awash with the delicate touch of human experience. [Mar 2008, p.144]

Uncut

The Brooklyn-based veterns have beefed up the arrangements on LP number five, and Matthew Caws' material happily carries that weight. [Mar 2008, p.96]

Hartford Courant

Despite the subtly uplifting message, Lucky lacks the emotional heft of the former.

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New Musical Express

Such is the band’s melodic power the sensation is like slipping into a warm bath rather than eavesdropping by the psychiatrist’s chair.

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PopMatters

Lucky is a solid, almost reassuring album; it’s good to still have them around.

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Under The Radar

Lucky’s music kicks high, the restlessness palpable. [Winter 2008, p.83]

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Nada Surf still occupies a murky middle ground between mainstream pop and straightforward indie-rock, resulting in modern power-pop that's ready for primetime teen dramas or Subaru commercials.

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Spin

Nada Surf face everyday life's cacophony with a pleasant, unfaltering, even surgary approach. [Feb 2008, p.96]

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Q Magazine

Everytime they hit their stride, as on 'Weightless,' a delicious coupling of joyful guitar riffs and Matthew Caw's warm falsetto, it is quickly followed by a bog-standard indie jangle. [Mar 2008, p.108]

Drowned In Sound

Lucky aims high but once again falls short.

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Blender

On record five, their lovely, surging melodies suggest a minor-league Coldplay, while singer-guitarist Matthew Caws recalls a lost golden age “when I could fix anything with sound.”

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Paste Magazine

While never unpleasant, Lucky represents a slowdown from the roll Nada Surf has been on.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this album is 8.3 (out of 10) based on 24 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

G Man gave it an8:
Very reminiscent of the last Long Winters album with a touch of Portastatic. A couple really nice and catchy tunes with a couple that need time to digest. Overall a solid album, worth a couple listens at the least, a great background album too.

KG F. gave it a7:
Not as great as Let Go or Weight is a Gift, but still quite alright. Things become a little monotonous due to the similar tempos in a couple songs (sequencing is a little iffy), good songwriting as always though.

Alpha M. gave it a7:
Good pop really comes in two brands for me: 1) the explosion of good power pop; and 2) the kind of pop that is hidden somewhere in the background of the tracks, but comes through anyway--kind of like reading a book by the window where there's enough sun to enjoy it inside, but not outside. For me, that's Nada Surf at their best. "Lucky" is not their best, but the second half of the disc is where everything comes together. I'm amazed at the number of peeps who really liked "The Weight is a Gift." I thought it was a real let down after "Let Go" and "The Proximity Effect" (hard to believe that disc has been out for a decade now). "Lucky" surpasses "The Weight is a Gift," but it's too far away from "The Proximity Effect" to hook my heart the way they used to.

Dan J. gave it an8:
The world is truly evil. In such a world "popular" becomes a hit(ok song but c'mon). This is another great album from a group greater than their appearance in mainstream history. "Solid" as mentioned, but also growing.

Hannibal K. gave it a10:
Best album so far this year. Really cool tunes! Love it! Best song in my opinion is "I Like What You Say".

Jesse gave it an8:
Totally matches TWIAG for quality. Though both albums can't quite compete with Let Go for sheer awesomeness, any review below 8/10 must represent a complete lack of patience to let the experience grow and stomp out any negative impulses like it really totally deserves.

Chris C. gave it a9:
Another brilliant, multi-layered power pop masterpiece from one of the most under-appreciated and intelligent bands in rock.

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