THE LOCAL HONEYS - LITTLE GIRLS ACTIN' LIKE MEN

2017 - Self Released
Reviewing an album that I actually spent my own money on is a genuine rarity, although I should point out that purchasing music is not. I just think that if an artist or a representative of an artist has taken the trouble to send me an album as hundreds do each year, they should take priority over what I have bought, particularly as I'm only able to review a very small percentage of what I receive anyway. Reviewing an album that was first released eighteen months or more before I first heard it is not unusual, it is a unique event! That pretty much sums up how I came to this extraordinary recording, one that was released in the U.S in 2016 although I should add that it was released in the UK as recently as December 2017. As I'm now in full flow with the 'waffling' I may as well tell you how I discovered the album. I was checking out the lineup for this year's Maverick festival on their website and was mightily impressed with the calibre of the artists but as usual there were a few who were new to me, amongst them The Local Honeys. I checked their website which more than piqued my interest. I then went to one of the online stores, downloaded the album, burnt it to disc and the rest, as they say, is history.
I'm already trying to work out how I can justify including 'Little girls actin' like men' in my 'Albums of the year' list for this year, knowing that if I do manage it, it is definitely the current front runner! To my ears it is not merely good; it is a great album! I'm getting a little ahead of myself here and haven't even told you yet who the Local Honeys are. They are a duo that consists of two extraordinarily talented young Kentuckian women, Montana Hobbs on banjo and vocals and Linda Jean Stokley on fiddle and vocals. The pair met whist studying at Kentucky Center for Traditional Music at Morehead State University and were the first two lady graduates to attain Bachelor of Arts degrees in Traditional “Hillbilly” Music, giving more than a clue to what is contained on this tremendous twelve track disc.
This is very much traditional music, even the duo's original songs are virtually impossible to distinguish from those that are traditional and as anyone who reads up on them will find, much of their inspiration comes from trying to keep 'old time' traditional Kentucky mountain music alive, perhaps in much the same way as a band such as the Copper family do over here. That is not to say they are just 'old fashioned' musicians; they are very much a modern day duo who perform with a genuine 21st century spirit and great dynamism, they just choose to play in the old style with all of its beauty that combines so well with a distinct edginess that has to be felt rather than manufactured. I'm loathe to call this 'Hillbilly music,' although in writing that I suppose I have, because that was and no doubt still is looked on as an insult by the old timers and their descendants, but it is that music that is a direct forefather and indeed a recorded tap root. I say recorded because we only have the written word telling us about the music pre the early 1920s when the first known recordings of 'country music' were made. Perhaps another often used term of 'mountain music' is more appropriate although in reading this inconclusive paragraph the reader no doubt gets the picture of what I'm trying to say.
Whatever label we choose or don't choose this album contains 'Kentucky music' of a peerless quality. Of the songs, two were written by Montana and two by Linda Jean, six are traditional, plus there are one each by Don Rogers and Stephen Foster with the album having been produced by Linda Jean Stokley and Montana Hobbs and engineered by Rickey Wasson in Clay City, Kentucky, making this a recording that stays true to its roots! The albums opening song, Cigarette trees, opens with Montana's banjo soon joined by acoustic guitar, fiddle and bass before the lovely evocative vocal comes in on a song that most will swear is ages old but was actually written by Linda Jean Stokley. The two women's vocals blend perfectly whether harmonizing or exchanging leads on this and every song that follows. The sound of a 'high lonesome' banjo introduces us to the traditional Hills of Mexico, the much recorded but never bettered song, soon joined by fiddle and a gorgeous reflective lead vocal with beautiful haunting high harmonies on a performance that enables the listener to almost feel as if they are sitting on a front porch in the high Appalachians listening to this powerfully reflective tale. The banjo and acoustic guitar are joined by Linda Jean's fiddle on the much recorded Stephen Foster 'classic' My old Kentucky home, a song that, certainly on the versions I'm familiar with, has never sounded better or more natural. It is a performance of this tale that has a genuine 'parlor song' feel, a location for which the song was originally no doubt intended. The harmonies as usual have a beautiful 'rural' feel on this stunning duet. The mandolin, acoustic guitar and fiddle get the Montana Hobbs written title track Little girls actin' like men going on another tremendous song, this one alluding to what used to be known as 'tomboys.' The lead vocal emphasizes the lovely rural feel, with the harmonies adding further depth.
It really doesn't matter who takes the lead or harmony vocals, the sound of the voices whether solo or harmonizing always has that rural edginess that when combined with the obvious great beauty lets all who hear them know there are special talents at work here. Add that to the quality of their playing, songwriting and the perfect selection of old songs and I really can't wait to witness those sublime talents at this year's Maverick festival and hopefully many more recordings of this quality in the future.
http://www.thelocalhoneys.com/
Reviewing an album that I actually spent my own money on is a genuine rarity, although I should point out that purchasing music is not. I just think that if an artist or a representative of an artist has taken the trouble to send me an album as hundreds do each year, they should take priority over what I have bought, particularly as I'm only able to review a very small percentage of what I receive anyway. Reviewing an album that was first released eighteen months or more before I first heard it is not unusual, it is a unique event! That pretty much sums up how I came to this extraordinary recording, one that was released in the U.S in 2016 although I should add that it was released in the UK as recently as December 2017. As I'm now in full flow with the 'waffling' I may as well tell you how I discovered the album. I was checking out the lineup for this year's Maverick festival on their website and was mightily impressed with the calibre of the artists but as usual there were a few who were new to me, amongst them The Local Honeys. I checked their website which more than piqued my interest. I then went to one of the online stores, downloaded the album, burnt it to disc and the rest, as they say, is history.
I'm already trying to work out how I can justify including 'Little girls actin' like men' in my 'Albums of the year' list for this year, knowing that if I do manage it, it is definitely the current front runner! To my ears it is not merely good; it is a great album! I'm getting a little ahead of myself here and haven't even told you yet who the Local Honeys are. They are a duo that consists of two extraordinarily talented young Kentuckian women, Montana Hobbs on banjo and vocals and Linda Jean Stokley on fiddle and vocals. The pair met whist studying at Kentucky Center for Traditional Music at Morehead State University and were the first two lady graduates to attain Bachelor of Arts degrees in Traditional “Hillbilly” Music, giving more than a clue to what is contained on this tremendous twelve track disc.
This is very much traditional music, even the duo's original songs are virtually impossible to distinguish from those that are traditional and as anyone who reads up on them will find, much of their inspiration comes from trying to keep 'old time' traditional Kentucky mountain music alive, perhaps in much the same way as a band such as the Copper family do over here. That is not to say they are just 'old fashioned' musicians; they are very much a modern day duo who perform with a genuine 21st century spirit and great dynamism, they just choose to play in the old style with all of its beauty that combines so well with a distinct edginess that has to be felt rather than manufactured. I'm loathe to call this 'Hillbilly music,' although in writing that I suppose I have, because that was and no doubt still is looked on as an insult by the old timers and their descendants, but it is that music that is a direct forefather and indeed a recorded tap root. I say recorded because we only have the written word telling us about the music pre the early 1920s when the first known recordings of 'country music' were made. Perhaps another often used term of 'mountain music' is more appropriate although in reading this inconclusive paragraph the reader no doubt gets the picture of what I'm trying to say.
Whatever label we choose or don't choose this album contains 'Kentucky music' of a peerless quality. Of the songs, two were written by Montana and two by Linda Jean, six are traditional, plus there are one each by Don Rogers and Stephen Foster with the album having been produced by Linda Jean Stokley and Montana Hobbs and engineered by Rickey Wasson in Clay City, Kentucky, making this a recording that stays true to its roots! The albums opening song, Cigarette trees, opens with Montana's banjo soon joined by acoustic guitar, fiddle and bass before the lovely evocative vocal comes in on a song that most will swear is ages old but was actually written by Linda Jean Stokley. The two women's vocals blend perfectly whether harmonizing or exchanging leads on this and every song that follows. The sound of a 'high lonesome' banjo introduces us to the traditional Hills of Mexico, the much recorded but never bettered song, soon joined by fiddle and a gorgeous reflective lead vocal with beautiful haunting high harmonies on a performance that enables the listener to almost feel as if they are sitting on a front porch in the high Appalachians listening to this powerfully reflective tale. The banjo and acoustic guitar are joined by Linda Jean's fiddle on the much recorded Stephen Foster 'classic' My old Kentucky home, a song that, certainly on the versions I'm familiar with, has never sounded better or more natural. It is a performance of this tale that has a genuine 'parlor song' feel, a location for which the song was originally no doubt intended. The harmonies as usual have a beautiful 'rural' feel on this stunning duet. The mandolin, acoustic guitar and fiddle get the Montana Hobbs written title track Little girls actin' like men going on another tremendous song, this one alluding to what used to be known as 'tomboys.' The lead vocal emphasizes the lovely rural feel, with the harmonies adding further depth.
It really doesn't matter who takes the lead or harmony vocals, the sound of the voices whether solo or harmonizing always has that rural edginess that when combined with the obvious great beauty lets all who hear them know there are special talents at work here. Add that to the quality of their playing, songwriting and the perfect selection of old songs and I really can't wait to witness those sublime talents at this year's Maverick festival and hopefully many more recordings of this quality in the future.
http://www.thelocalhoneys.com/