Honeydogs

Here's Luck

BY Jason SchneiderPublished Feb 1, 2001

Living in the shadow of others in the Minneapolis scene for most of their career, the Honeydogs have unfortunately received most of their notoriety outside of town, through drummer Noah Levy's participation in alt-country super-group Golden Smog. However, as with the other major players in the scene, such as the Jayhawks, the Honeydogs now seem to be moving beyond traditional influences and Here's Luck displays a keen eye toward craftsmanship. The most obvious example is the prominent string arrangements mixed in with their usual ragged guitar attack. This shows that chief songwriter Adam Levy has either been listening to his old copy of Sticky Fingers, a lot, or that he's looking for a better way to convey the bittersweet aspects of his song. From the sounds of "Wilson Boulevard" and "The Crown," it's probably the former. There's also enough echoes of the Replacements and Wilco's Summerteeth, on "Sour Grapes" and "Losing Transmissions," to lift the album above the average roots rock release. With all these positive elements going for it, Here's Luck should be the Honeydogs' long-overdue introduction to a wider audience. This one will grow on you.
(Rykopalm)

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