Album review: Queen Bee and the Honeylovers – Asheville
On their debut CD release, Queen Bee and the Honeylovers pay tribute to their hometown with a collection of original songs in a warmly familiar style. Singer and songwriter Whitney Moore dug deep into the history of the mountain city, crafting 14 songs that have one metaphorical foot in the past, the other firmly planted in the here-and-now. Standout tracks are many, but any short list of notable cuts starts with “Beacham’s Curve,” a song that’s both a paean to Asheville streetcars and a tale of forbidden romance. A video for the song includes archival footage of Moore’s father talking about Asheville history.
Elsewhere, the song titles hint intriguingly at the stories that lie within: “Dr. Grove’s Tasteless chill Tonic,” “Helen’s Bridge” and “Legend of Zelda Fitzgerald.” It’s certainly not necessary to know anything of Asheville’s history to enjoy these wonderfully played and sung tunes; each succeeds on its own merits with or without the benefit of historical context. The uptempo music has a cinematic feel not unlike Joe Jackson’s music for the 1988 film Tucker: The Man and His Dream. Stylistically, the Honeylovers mix in pre-and postwar musical styles, so listeners get a healthy dose of swing, ragtime and hot jazz.
My feature/interview with the band is here.
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 4500-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 taught 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: Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.