L.A. based rockers, Dirty Honey, have been bringing the gritty rock of yesteryear and colliding it with new, soulful freshness for over five years now. With each of their releases, they climb the mountain effortlessly and have made quite a name for themselves when it comes to being one of the most promising modern rock ‘n’ roll bands of today. Vocalist Marc LaBelle, guitarist John Notto, Justin Smolian and new drummer Jaydon Bean turn it up to ten in their newest record, Can’t Find The Brakes, which dropped on November 3rd.
There are a lot of takeaways right off the bat that you will pick up on with this album. LaBelle’s vocals are as crisp as ever, and he also shows off his range a lot more here. By that, I mean that there is a difference with this release and the last two – Can’t Find The Brakes is a lot more bluesy. Their 2019 EP and 2021 album are both very rock driven and kept pretty simple, but there are some straight up blues numbers in this one, along with a ballad or two. Some things that haven’t changed are the killer performances by the band and the extremely catchy hooks and melodies.
“Don’t Put Out The Fire” kicks us off with a fantastic bluesy opening, aided by a booming bassline that stands out courtesy of Smolian. Following the opening track is the first single released from this record back in July, “Won’t Take Me Alive,” which is a big-time earworm and just oozes classic Dirty Honey. The guitar shreddin’ by Notto and drum work coming from Bean really keep the song moving. “Dirty Mind” gives us some big head-bobbing energy with every crash of the cymbal, with “Roam” bringing us back down to earth for a minute. The beginning starts off nice and easy, but crescendos here and there to a nice pace – almost reminiscent of an ‘80s power ballad.
“Get A Little High” is a fun rocker that could easily be a track from their 2021 album with the energy it brings. Next up is something completely different, though – the 3rd single released for this record, “Coming Home (Ballad of the Shire)”, which is a nice, slowed down acoustic tune to balance out the hype for a bit. The title track, “Can’t Find The Brakes”, is another single release that brings the tempo back up a notch. This is one of those songs that people will predict, with little argument, will become one of the most well-known, top tunes from Dirty Honey when it’s all said and done.
Next on the track list is “Satisfied,” a personal favorite of mine. The drumming in the intro is killer, then the whole band comes in like a wave as you work your way through the song. “Ride On” is fantastic as well, with the “in your face” knob turned up all the way, then following that is a killer, slowed down banger. “You Make It All Right” is definitely the bluesiest track if you’re looking at it from a traditional standpoint. Notto makes that guitar cry with the picking he does on here. Closing us out is the finale – “Rebel Son”. I tell you what, talk about going out with a bang. What really makes this song is the piano outro that brings in the rest of the players to a killer ending.
In case all of that didn’t persuade you, I beg of you to give Can’t Find The Brakes a listen yourself. Dirty Honey is on absolute fire right now and shows no signs of slowing down. They tour constantly, so do yourself a favor and catch a live show as well. While you’re scrolling to buy that ticket, crank up this new record and enjoy!
Cover Photo by Rockin Ryan Stephen Richardson