Country boys and girls, grab your finest cowboy hat and a box of tissues and get ready to dive into the show. This is going to be a deep one.
On Tuesday, the country band known as the Honeycutters will perform at Low Spirits Bar & Stage to show off music from their April release, “Me Oh My.”
To give a preview of the material for their upcoming performance, this critic had the chance to listen to “Me Oh My” in its entirety.
“Me Oh My” is an emotional album full of profound messages and catchy beats. Coming from someone who holds a strong dislike for most things country, this record is impressive.
While the instruments are pleasant to listen to, there is nothing particularly special or original about the tune. The band members play their instruments with knowledge and skill, but they do so in the style typically found in country songs. There are no unusual instrument additions or extraordinary solos to make it stand out. Despite this cookie-cutter quality, the music will surely catch the attention of those who love a good country riff.
Vocalist Amanda Platt has a smooth voice with a delightfully light southern lilt. Her diction and powerful voice make her much more comprehensible than some other country vocalists, who tend to slur their words and drag out every vowel in the song. The only thing keeping her from being an extraordinary singer is her limited range. Platt may want to experiment with some low and high keys to make future releases stand out with more variety.
So, what makes this album so remarkable if not the singing? The lyrics.
From the very first track, “Jukebox,” Platt’s words will have listeners hooked on the entire album.
“Don’t go calling me the angel on your doorstep/Cause I fell just like all the rest/I was too broke down to fly.”
These lyrics in the first verse of “Jukebox” are sure to grab the hearts of listeners and force them to clear their schedules just to finish the record.
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If the first track doesn’t leave listeners in tears by the end, the opening lines of the third song, “Me Oh My,” will.
“I had a baby, but the good Lord took her/She was an angel, but her wings were crooked/I guess He figured He could love her better than me.”
In “Me Oh My,” it seems as if Platt is talking about the way others see her, but she doesn’t care because she isn’t ready to forgive God for what He took from her. While other listeners may interpret this song differently, everyone is sure to connect with the emotion of this song.
The album continues to pull at your heartstrings up to the very last song. “A Life For You” ends the album with an apology to someone who didn’t get the love they deserved.
Platt beautifully concludes, with her softly sung words above the fading music, “So you take the money/I’ll take the fall/You make a run for it/I’ll hold ‘em off/I’ll tell ‘em all last time I saw you, you were a bird.”
It is clear in each track that Platt and the other members of the band have some very serious things to say, and they’re going to tear your heart out while they do it. This isn’t your usual frivolous country album that doesn’t have a message outside of America or a tractor.
The Honeycutters’ Low Spirits Bar & Stage show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $8, plus a $2 fee if purchased online. Go to lowspiritslive.com to purchase tickets. Country fan or not, you won’t be sorry.
Skylar Griego is the culture editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @TDLBooks.
