Kasey Anderson and The Honkies - Heart of a Dog

Kasey Anderson and The Honkies
Heart of a Dog
Red River Records

Kasey Anderson, better known for his soft spoken songwriting is getting a little loud and ruckus on his latest effort. Teamed with his band The Honkies that brings a rich full sound to Anderson's signature storyteller lyrics; Heart of a Dog is ripe with a meaty blues-guitar salvation and a rhythm section that has the swagger and precision of a shot of good bourbon.
From the Rollingstone's Blues of "Mercy" to the echos of electrified Dylon in the opening growl of "The Wrong Light" this CD presents one amazing song after another. Easily each track could stand alone but tied together they make an awesomely tight album that propels the listener on a wonderful musical journey. Comparable to Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run, their is a consistent narrative to this CD that tells a story the audience can't help but to become emotionally invested.
This album documents an evolution in the creative lifespan of Anderson's music. Taking his already powerful lyrical stories and supercharging them with the power and speed of a top notch rock outfit. In addition to Andrew McKeags boisterous guitar, the powerful drum beat of Julian MacDonough and the luscious groove of Sean Cornin's bass, this album is populated with a long list of additional musicians who lent their expertise to this recording. A perfect example is the use of David Lipkind's harp on the track "Kasey Andersons' Dream" that takes an already great song and makes it awesome. With talent like this just waiting in the wings, it's no wonder this album sounds so good; as though a group of long time friends and musical collaborators sat down in the studio one afternoon and played the hell out of these songs with the same effortlessness of smoking a cigarette.
You can tell a lot about an album by who you'd recommend it to and Heart of a Dog is a one I'd give my good friend Eric. We use to tend bar together at a little place called the Driftwood Room. He loved the Stones, the New York Time's Crossword puzzle and taught me as much about life as he did about being a great bartender. I cherish the memories of closing down the bar and talking late into early morning over St. Pauli Girl and cigarettes. He has a great taste in music and I know he would love this amazing album as much as I.