Monday, May 23, 2016

New Music 2016 - Part 34 - The Honeycutters - On The Ropes

I would stay up all night to write about this. This is cognisant music of the most perfect kind. It wasn't for no good reason that their last long-player 'Me Oh My' was on my list of Albums of 2015 - Part 1.
This is the follow-up to that and I am pleased to say the band has made no drastic changes. That certain predictability - the idea that while circumstances may change, for better or for worse, many things will remain much the same and that a gritty determination, and even redemption, will overcome those that don't.

The Honeycutters - On The Ropes (20 May 2016, Organic Records).
  • On the Ropes
  • Blue Besides
  • Golden Child
  • The Handbook
  • The Only Eyes
  • Back Row
  • Useless Memories
  • Piece of Heaven
  • Let's Get Drunk
  • 500 Pieces
  • Ache
  • Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen cover)
  • Barmaid's Blues

Jason Isbell is playing Green Man 2016 and Margo Price plays End Of The Road 2016, so that is covered.
If I could wish to see just one more Americana act at a UK festival this summer then The Honeycutters would be it. It's not that this LP is particularly similar in style to those of either of the others and indeed that is a big part of the whole charm of it. They are each happy to plough (sic) their own furrow, however I regard it as an equally noteworthy one.
I have no reason to suspect that given the current mood here in Britain the band would find anything other than a very warm welcome indeed.
This video is for 'Jukebox', which is the opening track on the aforementioned 'Me Oh My'.


It is the perfect match to 'Barmaid's Blues', which is the closing song on 'On the Ropes' and that really matters.

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