DIRTY HONEY
CAN’T FIND THE BRAKES
INDEPENDENT
![](https://i0.wp.com/spillmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/RATING_4.5_of_5.jpg?resize=150%2C29&ssl=1)
Dirty Honey continues to raise the bar for new rock and independent artists alike. Their latest album builds upon the sound delivered on 2021βs full length, self-titled album β not to be confused with 2019βs self-titled EP β but demonstrates a more refined approach to their songwriting. It goes without saying that Canβt Find The Brakes is an essential rock record for 2023.
The album opens with the melodic musing of βDonβt Put Out The Fireβ a song which, for an all too brief moment, connects the band to modern alternative rock with a sound reminiscent to City And Colour, before breaking into an irresistibly funky strut. Think Aerosmith in 1976, only groovier. In many ways, βDonβt Put Out The Fireβ sets the tone for Canβt Find The Brakes, while also signifying a shift in the bandβs sound as they continue to expand their range within their signature β70s rock vibe. If this leaves you concerned, the band has backed this with the albumβs initial single, βWonβt Take Me Aliveβ a hard rocker that lives up to their previous albums and is exceptionally mixed and produced with electric lead lines and lush vocal harmonies effortlessly floating from speaker to speaker with a sense of subtly.
Canβt Find The Brakes continues on with the remaining nine tracks full of highlights. βDirty Mindβ is driven by a riff so sleazy that it would give Slash a reason to pause while βRoamβ brings a modern sense of balladry for Marc LaBelleβs vocals to soar above. βRebel Sonβ and βRide Onβ dig deep into β70s blues rock while βSatisfiedβ and βGet A Little Highβ deliver high octane rock that grooves hard. Front to back, there is not a weak moment on Canβt Find The Brakes, making it, without a doubt, Dirty Honeyβs strongest release to date.
Dirty Honeyβs sound is deeply entrenched within that of β70s rock and, much like Rival Sons, they stand as one of the most exciting classic rock bands of today while avoiding the cliches that sound dated and prevent their originality from flying high. Canβt Find The Brakes feels like a point of culmination from their previous EP and record. The band sounds full of life as they hone their songwriting into further developed territory. Ultimately, Canβt Find The Brakes stands as their best record to date and should further demonstrate Dirty Honey as among the most promising and most thrilling rock bands of our time.
ArtistΒ Links
SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: DIRTY HONEY – CAN’T FIND THE BRAKES
Gerrod Harris