What’s in a name? You’ll want something tough and uncompromising, spiky like Armored Saint or battle-ready like Tailgunner.
Or you’ll want something more sumptuous, sassy and sexy – step forward, Dirty Honey, the sumptuousness and illicit thrill of the prohibited. But that wouldn’t be any good if the songs weren’t up to much.
That’s never been a problem for Dirty Honey; over an EP and self-titled debut, this LA loveliness has produced music to make hips shake and smiles appear.
Those Hips
That’s where Dirty Honey is aiming. Track after track here makes those hips pulsate with pleasure, riffs to ride to market on, vocals so laidback you can lay down in them, a beat n’ bass which winks at you with naughtiness.
And if we’re looking for comparisons – and nothing wrong with that – Aerosmith are a touchstone for Dirty Honey here, not the latter version of brought-in songwriters and poppy warmth, but the bubblegum-popping, stadium-striding band who so many love.
Allow me to explain…
The Album
It’s called Can’t Find The Brakes and from that, you might expect a rollicking, roistering Rock ride. It is, but not as you’d expect.
Exhibit A: The opener, ‘Don’t Put Out The Fire’, which refuses to kick the doors down but eases us in with a bluesy, Bad Company feel, simmering along with a soulful vocal – takes confidence to do that.
Dirty Honey had success too, as Marc Dorian tells us on Rock & Blues Muse;
‘In a remarkable feat for an independent and unsigned band, their debut single skyrocketed to the coveted #1 spot on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock and Hard Rock charts. Fast forward two years, and their self-titled, full-length release entered the Hard Rock album charts, securing a #2 position.’
Exhibit B: They’ll follow it up with the hip-bothering riff of ‘Won’t Take Me Alive’ with its Southern Rock Classic Rock melded solo and from there they jump onto the Funk wagon (you can get one 2nd hand) for ‘Dirty Mind’ with an entirely appropriate Steven Tyler vocal leer and easy to like Blues Rock middle.
And That’s Not All
May we mention Bonnie And Delaney? That Yacht Rocky, and Folky duo are brought to mind in the big, bruised ballad ‘Roam’ – loads are doing this, but not with this quality. And we’re shaking a tail feather – or reclining on a sofa, it’s up to you – but the funky Rock with a soaring chorus of ‘Satisfied’ will surely leave you just that way.
Dirty Honey doesn’t just to this though, occasionally they step out with a studded metallic with around the waist and strike up ‘Ride On’, hairier but not Hair Rock or Metal which becomes a bolshy boogie and tries its damndest to make you cut a rug.
And they invite you to a party with finisher ‘Rebel Son’, cheese footballs, cheap cider and a chirpy pianner – not piano – the kind you hear in a singalong at your local boozer, the kind the Faces and Ian McLagan perfected. By the time you get to the party, the funky roll will have already tired you, so Dirty Honey provides a little breather before an arm has clapped around your shoulders and beery breath sings the chorus right down your lughole.
This Band Should Be Big
This album makes that claim, it’s so stupendous. It demands it, really. As Neil Jeffries said in Louder;
‘Ultimately, though, Dirty Honey is best when putting boot to the buttock. The title track is particularly fabulous and effortlessly funky, and the band can be proud of that.’
There are lots of bands playing this kind of music, but only a few do it this well. And only one called Dirty Honey. Dirty – Flirty. Honey – Yummy. Get some today.