Dirty Honey-Dirty Honey-EP/LP Review-Planetmosh

Another day and another band that almost slipped passed my radar until fellow Planetmosh collleague Alex English put Dirty Honey my way. Formed in Los Angeles in 2017 the quartet have come on in leaps and bounds as they release their fourteen track debut release ‘Dirty Honey EP/LP’ on Dirt Records.

It begins with the six EP tracks as opener ‘When I’m Gone’ grabbed my attention from a raunchy main riff and a Bon Scott like rasp. Bubbling bass lines drive towards a stadium filling chorus as a guitar solo is short, sweet and straight to the point!

They just don’t roll 7’s in ‘Rolling 7’s’, they steamroller along on four feisty minutes that ease in on gently picked guitar and a laid back vocal until it breaks free from its shackles for lung busting choruses until it explodes once more for a headbangingly riffed outro.

A sugar sweet vocal reflects the sorrow in ‘Heartbreaker’ with aplomb, backed by a stabbing main riff as a spotlight stealing heart melting vocal pitches higher for a heavy rocked outro.

‘Break You’ is the heaviest track on the EP as an early bruising bass pound is joined by snarling snare drum work that makes for a tight rhythm section as guitars and shrieked vocals blaze away!

The intro riff to ‘Scars’ creeps up on you as this slice of heavy blues slow burns over a devilishly crooned vocal as a guitar overload outro is mindblowing!

Final track ‘Down The Road’ closes the EP on a high. It’s a ballad that shivers and quivers on a morose delivery of languid guitar lines as dashes of keyboards add more colour to an already perfect song and “Nah nah nah’s” have to be sung loud and proud to when you’re listening.

‘California Dreamin’ opens up the album and lives up to the dreaming as it rocks steady on steely eyed grooves that amble along on a mission to impress on more snappy snares and a walking tall vocal.

‘The Wire’ is powerchord heaven that kicks out the jams and anything else in its way, backed by a lecherous vocal that oozes charm to.

Feelgood times come from ‘Tied Up’ as it shoots the breeze for a sassy and classy foot tapper until it ignites into a fretboard burning solo and acapella outro.

I got an Audioslave vibe during ‘Take My Hand’ which is no bad thing as this seismic groover weaves along on a sublime vocal that could charm the birds out of the trees until it speeds up to race over the finish line in World record time.

Yet again those wrist snapping snares add a drumstick splitting delivery for ‘Gypsy’ as this turbocharger heads off onto a hot rails to hell journey of barroom boogie bounce and guitar frenzy outro.

Another killer riff adds to an already impressive arsenal, smashes the aptly titled ‘No Warning’. Rhythms stroll along at their own laid back pace around a melodically crooned vocal.

‘The Warning’ wears its AC/DC influences on its sleeves courtesy of some speaker rattling powerchords to fill up the floor of any rock disco.

They save the best track till last as ‘Another Time’ is a stratospheric ballad to break what’s left of your heart. It’s a bonafide soul stealer that takes the album to even greater heights!

Dirty Honey are already well established in the USA after a sell out tour in 2021 as well as supporting the Black Crowes on their 35 date tour that year and in 2022 have supported Guns And Roses, KISS, Rival Sons and also their own headline shows.

Purchase links to ‘Dirty Honey EP/LP’ and other band info are here :- http://dirtyhoney.com I https://orcd.co/dirtyhoney3

Dirty Honey-EP/LP track listing :-

When I’m Gone.

Rolling 7’s.

Heartbreaker.

Break You.

Scars.

Down The Road.

California Dreamin.

The Wire.

Tied Up.

Take My Hand.

Gypsy.

No Warning.

The Morning.

Another Last Time.

Dirty Honey band personnel :-

Mark LaBelle – Vocals.

John Notto – Guitar.

Justin Smolian – Bass Guitar.

Corey Coverstone – Drums.