If there’s one thing Wikipedia is good for, it’s everything — everything except finding out background info about Ike Reilly and his band. His Wikipedia page has three short paragraphs.

For being an expert storyteller, Ike Reilly is not a very well-known musician. That doesn’t mean he’s going to stop what he’s doing. The meek would have surrendered to a nine-to-five and heavy drinking. Yet, Ike Reilly and his band (also known as the Ike Reilly Assassination) march on, un-phased by unpopularity, to release their eighth full-length album, Hard Luck Stories.

And Hard Luck Stories doesn’t deceive. The album contains many stories of hard luck, just as the title claims. You could consider it a concept album, but only if you consider that enough of a concept. You might also have to consider the album in the first place, which could be difficult if you have never heard of Reilly or his band. The fact of the matter is Reilly’s lack of notoriety is a shame. 2001’s Salesmen and Racists will attest to that.

Hard Luck Stories definitely proves Reilly can tell you a story better than your momma ever could. His band is as cohesive and together as any band has ever been and the instrumentation is smooth.

Unfortunately, though, the album leaves a bit to be desired in light of previous releases

by Reilly. What’s the problem, you ask? It’s forgettable. It has its moments, but a Hard

Luck Stories track most likely will not get stuck in your head. Nothing is extremely catchy. Nothing is innovative in terms of beats, riffs or chord patterns. All faults aside, if you want to hear a raconteur with a Dylan-esque vocal quality, then Hard Luck Stories maybe the thing for you.

Songs like “7 Come 11” and “Good Work” exemplify Reilly’s ability to intertwine lyrical lines and quickly spit a barrage of rhythmic rhyme. “Girls in the Backroom” keeps the feeling playful and fun with Reilly’s sarcastic tone and a punky guitar riff.

Whoever recorded the solos plays something wicked on the outro to “Girls in the Bathroom.” The rhythm section is always on cue. You might get goosebumps when the other tracks drop out in “Lights Out (Anything Goes)” and you’re only left with bass and drums for a few measures until the lanky guitar ushers the wall of sound back. The keyboard intro to “The Golden Corner” has a dream-like reverb that dances around in your inner ear and makes your cochlea shiver.

Unfortunately, Reilly’s satirical bite seems to miss on “The War on the Terror and Drugs.” The intro chatter between Reilly and “Shooter” sets a playful tone, and the chorus is definitely going for a sing-along feel, but the lyrics are simply less clever than the rest of Reilly’s catalogue.

Still, Reilly can do better. He shows this in songs like “Good Work” when he sings about high school years. There’s a certain bite to “As the rich kids sing the poor kid songs/ At the after party all night long” that is absent in other tracks. The “Ballad of Jack and Haley” proves Reilly’s wit as he uses wordplay to describe both marijuana crops and a blossoming relationship.

Hard Luck Stories is forgettable, but it’s worth a listen. If you like any bit of it, you should check out Reilly’s Salesmen and Racists. If you don’t, you should still check out Salesmen and Racists. Do it for Reilly’s Wikipedia page.

3 stars out of 5.