By Brian Rock
Minnesota Alt-Rockers, The Honeydogs reunite their original lineup for their twelfth album, Algebra For Broken Hearts. Over 25 years since they last collaborated, lead singer/guitarist Adam Levy and his brother Noah on drums, reconnect with guitarist Tommy Borsheid and bassist Trent Norton. The reunion seems to have sparked a renewed energy in the band as they continue to find innovative ways to meld late 60’s psychedelic rock with mid 90’s alt-rock.
“Kill Switch,” is a rockin’ rave-up that fuses the bar room bluster of Faces with the roots rock jangle of Old 97s. Kicking off with screaming guitars and an actual scream, the song captures the primal, fight or flight adrenaline rush of facing your fears. Choosing option #2, Levy sings, “Wish there was a kill switch without breaking all my bones. Wish someone was waiting, so I could just phone home.” The only catch is, Levy and company are already in the midst of the fight they’re trying to avoid. Though they long for an easy escape route, the driving Rock rhythms show that there’s plenty of fight in them and they aren’t backing down anytime soon. Whether it’s a bad relationship, a dead-end job, or the consequences of our own poor decisions; we have all had that, “Lawyers, Guns & Money,” moment when we wish we were somewhere else. “Kill Switch,” acknowledges that feeling, but encourages us to fight on anyway.
The band keeps the pedal to the metal on the Cheap Trick inspired, “Irish Goodbye.” Crunchy guitar licks abound as Levy rages about his ex; “I gave her the Milky Way, the Taj Mahal, the Golden Gate. All I got was an Irish Goodbye.” “Attic Brain,” fuses Grunge with Cosmic Cowboy to perform a musical self-analysis. “Captain,” recreates feel-good, hippie-rock vibes to mock leaders who tell others how to live when they don’t even, “know up from down.” “Orange 8,” explores 90’s alt-rock tones to engage in more self-reflection. “Righteous Came the Stranger,” fuses Piedmont blues with southern funk to celebrate the life-changing people who enter your life unexpectedly. In their most impressive musical mash-up, the band manages to combine swampy, slide guitar driven, southern rock with 90’s Brit Rock on, “Tulsa.”
Slowing the pace, The Honeydogs evoke Laurel Canyon on the tender, “I Don’t Wanna Fight.” “Bend or Break,” is a trippy, mellow folk contemplation on coping with difficult times. The titular, “Algebra for Broken Hearts,” finds comfort in the minutia of daily living. Against a cosmic cowboy soundscape, Levy sings, “Can you hear the tide come in? Can you feel it pull your skin? I’m sending all my best regards: algebra for broken hearts.” Referencing the cyclical pattern of tides, he implies that love and heartache flow in cycles as well. When you find yourself in the ebb of love, your best medicine is to focus your attention on sunsets, daily drives, and washing dishes. Lose yourself in the ritual of daily living until the flow of love returns to your door. The swirling, Ween and Flaming Lips influences add a meditative, Zen like quality to the message.Part Flamin’ Groovies, part R.E.M, part Oasis, The Honeydogs are masters of the musical mind-meld. They blend musical eras and subgenres of rock to create deliciously exotic soundscapes.
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Brian Rock
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