From metalliville.co.uk (www.metalliville.co.uk/bankup/htdocs/CD%20Folder/H-CDS.htm):
The Handful – Second Hand Smoke
(True Rock Publishing – 2006)
Rock duo from New York made up of Mark Duda (Vocal/Guitars) & Jason Mischel (Drums/Bass/Keyboards/Trumpet) with additional backing vocals from Andrew Duda & Chris Marksbury.
Kinda puts me in mind of The Cult without the gothic overtones but you can't quite put your finger on them as each songs style is slightly different to the last. The instrumental 'Sasquatch' roams into Jethro Tull & ELP territory whereas others like 'Golddigger' are capable of getting stoner on us with a Thin Lizzy sound.
Some of their stuff grinds into the prog bluesiness of artists like Humble Pie with cuts like 'Cut 'Run' with booming riffery that quotes a few Beatle numbers or lyrics from them. Nice ballad in 'Unreal' that has a Pink Floydness about it at times – sorta 'Breath' like whilst closer 'Dead to Me' has a southern rock slant to it.
Interesting outfit that lazy journalists will have big trouble in categorising – you simply can't – they have their own unique ways of style.
8/10
By Glenn Milligan