CD Review – Kasey Anderson & the Honkies
Heart of a Dog
Red River Records
When Kasey Anderson released his last solo album, The Reckoning, his sounds was a brooding roots-rock album that was one of the better roots albums of the year. This time, Anderson did a complete 180 degree turn. He kicked up the sound, added a bunch of friends and made an album that is much more upbeat, rockin’ and down-right fun.
Anderson enlisted bassist Eric Corgan from The Long Winters, guitarist Andrew McKeag (The Long Winters, The Presidents of the United States of America) and drummer Mike Musburger (The Posies, The Fastbacks, The Supersuckers to form “The Honkies” and together, they sound like they have a blast making everything from radio alt-rock (“Exit Ghost”) to rebel country ala Kris Kristofferson (“The Wrong Light”) to the piano-led ballad “Your Side of Town” which sounds like it could have easily fit on any of Anderson’s solo records.
Anderson also has a myriad of guests helping out including The Decemberists’ accordian maistro Jenny Conlee, I Can Lick any SOB in the House’s David Lipkind and Lewi Longmire. The amount of people involved is exponential compared to Anderson’s solo work and it shows. The album is more diversified and rockin’ than any of his previous work. He may not like the tag “alt-country,” but this is where the album fits in. And there is nothing wrong with that.
