The hype around these guys has of course been kinda crazy, but after a hugely solid debut EP there was nothing to believe that the debut album wouldn’t be just as solid. The path has been on a huge upward trajectory of course since debut single ‘When I’m Gone’ became the first song by an unsigned band to reach Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart. Off the back of that offers flooded in and saw the band support The Who, Guns N’ Roses and Slash amongst others. 2020 saw sold out show come to an abrupt halt due to the pandemic.
Rather than sit on their collective asses Dirty Honey invested in themselves and began the writing of this album.
Opening with the high gear ‘California Dreaming’ which you must have heard by now it’s clear that we’re in that type of territory that is very much anointed by the great Led Zeppelin, but rather than become tangled up in Zeppelin’s Folkiness, Progressiveness or an other meanderings that great band had, Dirty Honey is very much looking at that West Coast Zeppelin vibe – but it’s only one of many ingredients in the mix. Of course you also get hints of Black Crowes, Cry of Love and a thousand other bands who have been here before. The thing with Dirty Honey though is that they make it their own, and backed up with some stunning musicianship and some wonderful songs they’ve managed to capture that lightning in the bottle they had with their EP again here in these eight tracks!
To be honest everything here is done with style: ‘The Wire’ has a great groove and a big chorus and enough guitar to please any vintage rocker and similarly ‘Tied Up’ (the new single) is catchy as hell as it struts it’s stuff.
Whilst Greta Van Fleet has been accused of riding on the tails of Zeppelin Dirty Honey are purely and simply all about capturing the feel, the groove, and the vibe and conjuring great songs, there’s a more pronounced good time party attitude that willful dissection of the masters – and it’s all cream…
As we get into the thick of things ‘Take My Hand’ has an even dirtier groove; and there’s a wonderful energy to ‘Gypsy’ and it’s quirky riff that just pull you in like quicksand. ‘No Warning’ and it’s huge infectious groove follow – it’s a song that has Black Crowes written all over it from verse to solo, but rather than pastiche, it’s fresh as a daisy (maybe even “smelling like a rose”?)
We close the album with two of the very best: ‘The Morning’ is one of the real highlights here for me – it comes with a more laid back lazy vibe but with a hard rocking backbone of an AC/DC-like riff and big, big chorus; whilst the contrast couldn’t be more pronounced for ‘Another Last Time’ a slower number to close that has everything from The Stones to The Crowes and back again in the mixing bowl, to create a wonderfully warm and soul-drenched feeling like the ballads on Moneymaker. It’s also a song where you can hear the whole band reaching for the stars and managing to pull a few down…
We’re left with eight songs to go with the six on the EP and not a dull second in all of that. Dirty Honey isn’t just the latest in a long line of 70’s inspired Rock bands, they’re a band that is more than the sum of their influences and one that with vocalist in Marc LaBelle front and centre have a voice that elevates these great songs into future classics.
9 /10