Album Review: Amanda Anne Platt & the Honeycutters
Though the lineup of the Honeycutters has been rather constant for years now, few would contest the idea that the band is a vehicle for Amanda Anne Platt’s songwriting and vocals. With that in mind, the fifth full-length from the Asheville-based outfit is titled (and credited to) Amanda Anne Platt & the Honeycutters.
Top billing aside, the new album delivers more of what Honeycutters fans crave: top-notch tunes in a classic country style, leavened with a current-day sensibility that keeps the tunes from feeling too old-school for modern audiences. Even a quick scan of the song titles reveals the kinds of lyrical concerns to which Platt applies her considerable lyrical muse: “”Learning How to Love Him,” “The Things We Call Home, “The Road.”
In the hands of a lesser songwriter, such subjects could be treated in a manner that’s mawkish at best, insincere and pandering at worst. But there’s no danger of any of that on Amanda Anne Platt & the Honeycutters.
At its best – and, it must be said, at its worst as well – country music deals with universal, workaday themes. Amanda Platt has the uncanny knack to tackle those subjects – heartbreak, regret, loss – in a way that reveals just enough of her own private self to give them the indelible stamp of genuineness. And in doing so, she connects with listeners and their own lives.
Hard-learned lessons seem to inform Platt’s lyrics, but there’s a sunny optimism that infuses even the most melancholy sentiments expressed in her compositions. The lyrical imagery in songs like “What We’ve Got” might cause listeners to discover a lump in their throats, or a drop of mist on their cheek.
Miles away from bro-country, Platt’s traditional-minded songs should nonetheless appeal to rock listeners. Jangling, occasionally distorted electric guitar and energetic drumming are all woven into the mix, but they’d used in a way that doesn’t get in the way of the songs.
The crystalline production (by Platt with longtime associate Tim Surrett) and flawless instrumentation of the musicians – Platt plus guitarist Matthew Smith, keyboardist Evan Martin, bassist Rick Cooper and drummer Josh Milligan – all serve to highlight Platt’s heartfelt vocals.
Call this musical aggregation what you will: Amanda Anne Platt & the Honeycutters are the real deal.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.