Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters – The Ones That Stay
This set comes across lightly with all the decorative country nutrients of a real pro. Satiny Emmylou Harris’s distinctive type of vocal that pours like syrup off each note. Originally from New York, Amanda opens her showcase with “Mirage,” & there’s a vintage tint to her musicality.
She’s tied to the apron strings of many traditional, classic country mama vocalists of the past who stand behind her in music hall kitchens. Now some may say this music is sweet. But it’s more like a cantaloupe slice with a sprinkle of salt. It has a panache. “Clean Slate,” comes to the point, it’s simple & sung with thrust, spiced with harmonica & Amanda’s distinguished decisive voice.
There are 12 empty calories in these enticing North Carolina baked muffins for The Ones That Stay (Drops August 9/Mule Kick Records/53:23). Produced by Scott McMicken (acoustic & electric guitars/harmony/synth/percussion/noises), Greg Cartwright (aux percussion/noises) & Amanda.
By the third bite, Amanda’s most impressive melody absorbs the air with “Window Pane” which is superb. Ms. Platt will explore expressively life on the road, heartache & hope with striking vocals & exceptional accompaniment. The songs are well-written stories & in some, she has her balladry with 60s pop magic woven into the performance. “Forever,” has this flavor. It’s mindful of artists like Skeeter Davis (“End of the World”), Sue Thompson (“Paper Tiger”) & Merilee Rush (“Angel of the Morning”).
Curiously, the closest modern-day country singer I can compare Ms. Platt to is New Zealand’s marvelous Donna Dean (“What Am I Gonna Do”). Donna wrote the Grammy-nominated Rhonda Vincent covered “Destination Life.” Amanda has that tonality. The crucial thread that runs through her writing with consistency fills the quality of her work. The Dean-inspiration or similarity is evident in “Forget Me Not Blue,” & the impressive “On the Street Where You Live,” they are Platt delicacies for repeated listening.
With melodies & lyrics this good I would have preferred song titles that were more imaginative, original & creative than simple one-or-two-word cliches. I said my piece. I believe the songs are superior to the song titles.
The collection hasn’t one musical blemish. It’s quite delightful throughout. Many artists achieve success but few sustain it. Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters are sustainable. Amanda does it all with taste & class.
Highlights – “Mirage,” “Clean Slate,” “Window Pane,” “Forever,” “Forget Me Not Blue,” “On the Street Where You Live,” the beautiful “Pocket Song,” “Empty Little Room” & “Saint Angela.”
Musicians – Amanda (acoustic guitar/synth/lead vocal), Matt Smith (pedal steel/electric guitar/dobro), Kevin Williams (piano/mandolin/organ/synths/acoustic bass/keys/harmony), Rick Cooper (bass/electric guitar/harmony), Evan Martin (drums/percussion/acoustic guitar/bass/vocal harmony), Mark Platt (harmonica), Tuvi Louise Martin (intro monologue to “Pocket Song”) & The Hypos (vocal harmony).
Color image courtesy of Amanda’s website. CD @ https://www.honeycutters.com/home
Enjoy our previous coverage here: Interview: Amanda Anne Platt of the Honeycutters Gets to the Heart of the Matter on Defining Teamwork and Community