[rating=3.00]
Ryan Adams can be easily heard in the opening moments of “The Father,” the rootsy, warm and inviting keeper by Vancouver-via-Los Angeles band HoneyChild. Led by Tobias Jesso, the group nails the opener by balancing delicacy with heaviness. Think of an Americana answer to The National and you might get the gist of the first track.
From there, the band shines on the rambling, train-chugging “Tijuana” that shines with its alt-country backbone. But one snag throughout the album is the sound quality, with a slight but annoying hiss found throughout the rockier “Driving Song” that grates on the listener.
That isn’t to say the album’s quality is hard on the ears. In fact, it’s generally pretty good. The ambling, dirge-ish “Lonesome Tiger” glides along with a Waits-ian charm minus the quirky instrumentation. And the “Jokers Wild” has a winding, rock feel oozing out of it. At just eight songs, HoneyChild seems to leave some wanting more. than expected.
