The Secret Handshake – My Name Up In Lights

Artist: The Secret Handshake2020979
Album: My Name Up In Lights
Genre: Pop
Label: Triple Crown

Track List:
1. All For You
2. TGIF
3. Nothing Can Change That
4. Little Song
5. What’s Wrong
6. Saturday
7. Make Up Your Mind
8. Hey Girl
9. Brand New Love
10. Last Song

As I’ve said before, I was never into The Secret Handshake before now. One Full year, the record prior to this, had way to much vocoder for my tastes before vocoder was the epidemic it is now. Sure there was a few tracks I dug, but nothing of large importance. However, a few years later and here we are with My Name Up In Lights, the new, and amazingly better album from Luis Dubuc, aka, The Secret Handshake.

“All For You” kicks things off with no vocoder and a hook to make you move. However, it’s the second track, “TGIF,” that really lets us know TSH came to conquer. Not only is the hook and beat amazing, but there are enough references to 90’s family sitcoms to please people of any age. Those older kids in the scene will put together the references and the younger audience will just get into the music. Though it starts similarly to the first two tracks, “Little Song,” really has something to offer. Luis has never sounded better than he does hear and his desire to, “write the soundtrack to your life, and live it with you,” will make females from 13-36 swoon. We then get just a dab of funk influence with the halfway track, “What’s Wrong.” The effects are more present here, but the style change make it quite enjoyable.

Kicking off the back half of things, we have the anthem of Summer 2009, “Saturday.” If you were a fan of the old, more synth based tracks, there’s something here for you, but it maintains the more organic sound of this record as well. Without a doubt, the best work The Secret Handshake has put out. Period. “Make up Your Mind,” feels like a pretty blatant rip of, “Into The Groove,” from Madonna, so I can’t say that I was digging it too much, but, “Hey Girl,” has some nice bongo work to get us back into the record as a whole. This is one of the most well structured tracks on the record. The instrumentation is through the roof and the vocals/lyrics are perfect. I don’t know how we got from the last record to here, but I love it. “Last Song,” the closer for the disc, is quite an interesting tune. It begins with a basic beat and chord progression, but then busts our with a military drum roll which leads into a marching band type beat riding tempo. Then just as we adjust, we get a fresh breeze of synth laced beats to accompany it all. Luis pulled out all the stops here and finishes the album with quite a bang. Kudos.

If Summer were to start tomorrow, we’d be all set musically. The Secret Handshake’s My Name Up In Lights is the soundtrack to Summer 2009. The evolution this “group” has taken since the last record is incredible and it’s all only gotten better. As the traces of the oh too familiar vocoder begin to fade the instrumentation continues to rise, I can not even imagine what we will get next from Luis Duboc, but I know one thing, we will be first in line.

Score: 8/10

James Shotwell
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35 Responses to “The Secret Handshake – My Name Up In Lights”

  1. autumn flannery says:

    one of the best CD’s ever, i 10000000% recomend it to ppl who like good music :)

  2. brandon says:

    freaking awesome cd

  3. Johnny GhostGhost says:

    Awesome cd!! I love “Make Up Your Mind”! “Saturday” is poppin! “Better Off Alone” OMG!!! Forreals yall.. Check this sxxt out!! And I Disagree, “One Full Year” Was also really good. Yeah, “My name…” Is a beter album as a whole, but tracks like “Everyone knows everyone”, “Too Young”, “Lately”, “Game Girl”, “Midnight Movie” (Seriously if you haven’t checked it out, do so.[ONE FULL YEAR]) were freakin awesome…

  4. stephanie says:

    I have no been able to stop listening to this CD since I bought it. It’s amazing and I definitely recommend it to anyone and everyone who loves music!

  5. PaperBag says:

    Best CD ever!
    Totally worth your money!
    And plus it’s only $10 at Hot Topic, his site and Itunes!

  6. Trevor says:

    Am-Az-Zing CD
    Gets better every time i hear it

  7. solaura says:

    its a different sound, but its a super good album. the dude deserves the support, too.

  8. I think that One Full Year was a great album for Luis to step out with, but I think he has really established his artistic viewpoints and styles with this new album. A total 5 stars…No…6..7..
    BUY THIS CD, It’s totally worth the 10 bucks.

    Taylor

  9. ayoklimkowski! says:

    i loveee TSH! this cd is amazinggg!!!

  10. gia4000 says:

    Cool review! Props to the new TSH album. It’s a sure hit. I’m in love with it, and so is everyone I know. Awesome awesome album Luis. It’s honest, and it very creative, and I can’t believe that’s it was done totally DIY, cuz it sounds legit!!!!!!!!

  11. Alaina says:

    What a great album! I can’t wait to play this nonstop during the summer months because it’s a definite “summer fun” album. You can absolutely tell that Luis put a lot of hard work into this, it’s AWESOME. :D

  12. maggie says:

    this cd is wicked addicting. i can’t stop listening to it! it’s another great secret handshake album and i promise you’ll love it. obvi, that’s only if you have great taste in music.

  13. ive been listening to this album nonstop since i got it.
    every track its freaking awesome and i can honestly say i cant pic a favorite song cuz they all rule!

  14. beka says:

    GREAT CD! i have been listening nonstop to it since i bought it. Its hard to pic a favorite since theyre all so great. but i am currently hooked on “last song”. BUY IT!

  15. nickityhandshake says:

    i love the new album! i wish i could drive so i can play TGIF! lolz. buy the album everyone! its amazing!1~!~!!

  16. CRITICISM says:

    BEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD!
    -TSH ST!

  17. EmiLove says:

    Luis is a Genius:D
    This albumm is sooo ahhmazing!
    i listen to it EVERY day its that good! i never get sick of it!

    I recommend this to everyone!

    <3

  18. Rochelle says:

    I totally digg the new album
    <3
    <3
    <3

  19. matt says:

    TSH IS THE BEST! the new album is AMAZING!

  20. mollyt says:

    i love the new album. saturday is my favorite.

  21. Lainyyy says:

    I was getting tired of music (in general) everybody else sounded like someone else and it was getting tiring.

    BUT along came The Secret Handshake and left me speechless with this wonderful production.

    I LOVE my name up in lights.
    if you havent bought it GO!
    YOUR EARS WILL THANK YOU LATER!!!

  22. Sandra says:

    Luis really amazed me with this album. I personally loved One Full Year but My Name Up In Lights is just so much better. He really knows what he’s doing when it comes to making music that people will absolutely love.

  23. Alex says:

    Luis has such an amazing voice.
    And he is so much fun to see live.

    His album makes me want to dance.
    Everyone should have it.

  24. Bria says:

    I really really love this album! You can tell he put alot of time and heart into it :) its definitely hard to pick a favorite song of the album because they’re all so fun to listen to!! I think “Brand New Love” or “What’s Wrong?” is my favorite!!

    <333

  25. Crystal says:

    Luis is a super fellow. He cares about his fans and his music. This CD shows how great music still exist. Its at the top of my list. This cd will make your dance and feel better at the same time. If you need a pick me up or just want to be silly this CD will make it happen. TSH is also really amazing live so you should catch a show. Either way once you listen to this CD you will be hooked! It will be one of the best decisions you have ever made.

  26. i love the secret handshake, by far the best band/best album out there. i recommend every to go out and buy ten copies. yes ten. it’s necessary. Saturday and Brand New Love are amazinggg!

    i decided that’s too much pwnage for one cd!
    <33333

  27. MelissaNJ says:

    I love this album it’s so good, It’s definitely a must buy!

  28. Moni says:

    sweet review! i am definitely a fan of this album. :)

  29. Cassidy says:

    Love this album, best T$H stuff yet! More amazingness than ever before.

  30. Jackie says:

    The best cd I’ve ever listened too!!!!

  31. Bayly says:

    Love this album! TSH are fantastic, one of the best bands around!

  32. ricky says:

    one of the best cd’s this year, keep it going luis!!!

  33. Amy Parker says:

    I’m glad this CD changed your mind about TSH.
    It’s an amazing album, definitely one of my favorites. I’m never one to call an album ‘the album of the summer’, but this deserves that title. I could listen to it over and over again.
    TGIF is my favorite, it’s so catchy!

  34. kasey says:

    its no surprise i love this cd !

  35. Tiffany says:

    I love TSH! The whole cd is absolutely amazing, but it was to be expected of course