The Lucky Ones: "Prodigals And Vagabonds" (2026) CD Review

I got turned on to The Lucky Ones a few years ago when they had a song on the Hank Williams Uncovered tribute double album. On that release, they covered "I'm A Long Gone Daddy," delivering a really fun rendition. A year later, the band was also featured on Uncovering Dylan Volume 4, where they turned in a wonderful rendition of "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues." The band's contributions to both releases were highlights of those albums. The band's new EP, Prodigals And Vagabonds, gives us a chance to enjoy some of the band's original material. All tracks on this disc were written by Mike Meehan, who also plays bass and guitar, and provides vocals. The band also features Shawn Barron on vocals and acoustic guitar; Josie Bello on accordion and synthesizer; Andrew Friedman on pedal steel guitar; Rich Lanahan on vocals, electric guitar, mandolin and lap steel; and Mike Leuci on drums, acoustic guitar and electric guitar. The album was recorded by Bill Herman. It was mixed by Bill Herman and Mike Leuci. 

The EP opens with "Roadshow," which begins as a pleasant-sounding folk number, with some really nice work on both acoustic guitar and mandolin. Then after the first line, "Roadshow, save my soul," it kicks in, becoming a seriously wonderful country number, featuring excellent work on steel guitar. There is always something appealing about a line like "Fill it up with fuel and keep on moving," though paying for gas these days is less appealing than it used to be. There is a great vibe to this song. If you're a fan of, say, Uncle Tupelo, you're going to love this. And, guess what, this song even mentions Anodyne and No Depression, which surprised and delighted me the first time I listened to this album. And at the end when he again sings the first line, "Roadshow, save my soul," we get the sense that this music itself can help us with that very thing. That's followed by "Absalom," a song that seems to be inspired by William Faulkner's Absalom, Absalom! as well as the biblical storm of Absalom. "I was raised with a troubled mind/Seeking vengeance as it comes/Wayward heart and battle-torn." The song contains a good, steady beat. And while at first, it might seem this song has a laid-back vibe, with its wonderful work on steel guitar, there is actually an interesting intensity to this song. "Comes a day you lay your burden down." Faulkner isn't the only literary source for this song, as it also contains a reference to William Shakespeare's The Second Part Of King Henry The Fourth, quoting King Henry's famous line "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown" from Act III Scene i. I loved the song even before that, but quoting Shakespeare made me fall deeper in love with it. This is a personal favorite of mine.

There is an uplifting beauty to the instrumental section that opens "All Things Great And Small." I love the accordion work here. This is the track that gives the EP its title. Its first lines are "Prodigals and vagabonds/On the road to Avalon/Answering the call." And the use of Avalon puts us in mind of mythology and magic. Then we find ourselves with musicians on the road. "Soundchecks, endless tours/Lost highway troubadours" and "Accordion, an old tip jar/All things great and small." So perhaps that Avalon was not part of the King Arthur legend after all, but the old Avalon Ballroom or some other venue. Or both. Either way, this music is a piece of paradise. There is a biblical reference here too, in the line "Pride before the fall" (an abbreviated version of "Pride goes before destruction/And a haughty spirit before a fall"). Then "Mercy Of The Storm" establishes a good, solid beat, and features some excellent guitar work that sets the tone. Jesse Meehan plays rhythm guitar on this one. This track also contains a particularly good vocal performance. "Grace in the wilderness/Mercy of the storm." There is some nice backing vocal work as well. This song has a sense of undeterred forward motion, in part because of its rhythm. "Music on the hill/Last fair deal gone down." And that old folk and blues line is repeated, being the final line of the song. The EP concludes with "Counting Every Mile," a track with an especially soulful vocal performance. We hear a need in his voice, in his delivery. "Like a bird on broken wing/Singing his refrain." The guitar work in the middle has a 1960s vibe, which is appealing. This track also contains some nice stuff on accordion. "Fare thee well, my friend/On the other side."

CD Track List

1. Roadshow
2. Absalom
3. All Things Great And Small
4. Mercy Of The Storm
5. Counting Every Mile

Prodigals And Vagabonds was released on CD on July 10, 2026 on Paradiddle Records, though apparently it was released digitally earlier.