A young and upcoming band out of Los Angeles California named Dirty Honey blasted onto the scene with their debut EP back in 2019. Since then, they have released two excellent records starting with their debut self-titled record in 2021. At the time, the quartet of singer Marc LaBelle, guitarist John Notto, drummer Corey Coverstone, and bassist Justin Smolian led the charge in the rock and roll revolution.
The record contains eight songs and has a run time of 30 minutes. But, don’t let that fool you as each song brings a classic sound mixed with a new hard rock sound. The quartet sounds like they belong during the Golden Age of the 1970s rock scene.
The record starts with one of their lead singles, “Californa Dreamin’.” Notto’s sleazy riff is not one to be messed with. It’s dirty, melodic, and powerful. The combination of LaBelle and Notto makes listeners reminiscent of the Steven Tyler/Joe Perry and Axl Rose/Slash guitar-singer combos. This is one of the strongest songs on the record and it’s very clear as to why it kicks off the record. It’s a warm rock and roll welcome to the Dirty Honey style of music. Smolian is the band’s secret weapon in this song. While you can’t hear his basslines all the time in the song, when you do, their melodic and strong.
Notto’s excellent riffs continue with song two, “The Wire.” The rhythm section of Coverstone and Smolian anchors the back end of the song for Notto to continue with his power chords which match beautifully with LaBelle’s vocals. Due to the chorus’ simplicity, it’s easy to sing along to this song and feel like you’re a part of the band. The buildup to the end of the song is bone-chilling and it makes the listener want more from the song.
“Tied Up” is the band’s most underrated song on the entire album. After touring with The Black Crowes, Dirty Honey was able to channel their sound slightly on this record. The use of the background singers to beef up the chorus was an excellent move. This song is grittier than the previous songs but also fits as the third song. It’s different from the other two and gives fans a new sound. The best part of the entire song is when LaBelle and the background singers get their few seconds to shine as Coverstone gives them a little beat. This part shows off LaBelle’s vocal range and cements him as one of the best new singers in the modern era.
Track five opens up with a heavy beat from Coverstone and is accompanied by another great riff from Notto. From the start, this four-minute song has such a fast, driving pace. It’s a perfect workout song or it works just as well if you’re flying down the highway. The change of pace in this song is a warm welcome. The burst of the chorus is a perfect blend of classic and hard rock. It’s easy to see the band was raised on classic bands like Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, and The Black Crowes. They channel all their idols and create an amazing sound.
Song seven, “The Morning” has a great little groove that carries the tune from start to finish. While it’s not a “funk” song, it is funky. It’s a tune that listeners can sway and move to. It’s a fun song that helps move the record along to the final song. Even though it appears at the bottom of the record, it could have easily worked towards the top of the record. It would have created more breathing room and added a different sound early. But, it works just as well as song seven.
The final song on the record is the ballad “Another Last Time.” If there is a Top 10 Dirty Honey Songs list somewhere, I have to imagine that this song is in the top five. It’s the classic rock and roll power ballad. But, on this track, it has a harder edge. The chorus is amazing as the two female background singers return. The entire band hunkers down on this tune and makes it one of the standouts of the record. I love everything about this song. It’s perfect in every way possible. Notto’s solo raises the bar and shifts it from a ballad to a hard rock sound. LaBelle has great control over his voice on the back end of this tune. It further shows his power and amazing range. The dramatic closing also cements this tune as an amazing closing song that resonates with listeners.
Dirty Honey’s debut record helped catapult them into having an amazing follow-up, Can’t Find The Breaks. Dirty Honey is leading the charge in the rock and roll resurgence. They can channel classic sounds of rock while adding modern-day sounds. With a strong debut record like this one, it will be viewed as one of the band’s best releases and is the stepping stone that helps them become rock and roll legends.
Rating:
8.5/10
Tracklist:
1. California Dreamin’
2. The Wire
3. Tied Up
4. Take My Hand
5. Gypsy
6. No Warning
7. The Morning
8. Another Last Time
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My love for live music started with my first concert ever, Guns N’ Roses back in 2016. Since then, I’ve been able to capture photos of some amazing artists like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Ace Frehley, and Post Malone. I am based in New York/New Jersey and go to school in Connecticut majoring in Journalism and I am always looking for the next concert to attend.
