The album gets off to a great
start with “Sweatin’ Like Pig, Singin’
Like An Angel.” This is exactly what I need, a song that feels like a party
with some strong female vocals leading the festivities. This track is some
blues, some gospel, and a lot of soul. And with this ongoing heat, a song about
sweating is just perfect. Plus, I love that contrast in the line, “Sweatin’ like a pig, singin’ like an angel.”
Oh yes, let’s not let this heat hold us down. This track, in addition to a lively
vocal performance, features nice work on keys and guitar. And then the horns
take turns at lead, giving us some wonderful stuff, particularly when they seem
to be dancing, tangled together, finishing each other’s sentences. Now the
entire band sounds like a group of angels, and my apartment (where I’m
listening) has become a church. The fun then continues with “Don’t Nobody Got
Time To Waste.” “If you’re early, then
you’re on time/If you’re on time, then you’re late/Oh yes, you’re late/And if
you’re late, well, then you’re fired/’Cause don’t nobody got no time to waste.”
This song sounds like a celebration. You can raise some roofs with this music,
and that would certainly not be a waste of time.
“Honey Up,” the title track,
comes on like a glorious burst of funk, and those horns are absolutely
delicious. This one has a great, fun groove. “Yeah, you want me to honey up/And kiss your behind/You want me to honey
up/This is where I draw the line.” I dig this tune’s jam. I bet Vanessa
Collier puts on an excellent concert. She has a pretty serious touring
schedule, so maybe I’ll get the chance to check her out at some point. I
certainly hope so, especially after listening to a track like “Honey Up,” one
of the album’s best. It’s followed by “Percolatin’,” a seriously cool
instrumental track with a funky heart of its own and room for several musicians
to shine. Vanessa Collier then changes things up with “Icarus,” a sweet and
beautiful tune, with something of a light folk vibe mixed with soul. It comes
as a delightful surprise, and is another of the CD’s highlights. There is
plenty of excellent vocal work on this track, with Vanessa providing her own
backing vocals. Vanessa also plays acoustic guitar on this one.
She then goes to a thumping,
loud energetic number titled “The Fault Line,” one I found myself singing along
to. “We’re standing at the fault line/We
don’t even know the reason why.” This one is rock, with some good work on
guitar and more great stuff on horns. That’s followed by “Bless Your Heart,”
which is more firmly situated in the blues. Then “You’re A Pill” is a fun number
with delightful work from the horn section and more wonderful vocal work. I
particularly love the jam at end. “You Get What You Get” is also fun, with a
good, positive attitude. “Now I’m not
saying that you should just accept everything/But sometimes you’ve got to
decide when to step in the ring/But don’t make life hell for those you are
around/Just change it or accept it, and stop making that awful sound/’Cause you
get, you get what you get.” The album concludes with its only cover, a version
of Chris Smither’s “Love You Like A Man,” here titled “Love Me Like A Man” (as it
was when Bonnie Raitt covered it). Here Vanessa Collier is getting more heavily
into the blues, slowing the song down and stretching it out, really exploring
it and jamming on it. There is some fantastic work on saxophone here. “I need, yes yes yes, I need, I need someone
to love me/Just don’t, don’t put yourself above me/And love me like a man.”
CD Track List
- Sweatin’ Like A Pig, Singin’ Like An Angel
- Don’t Nobody Got Time To Waste
- Honey Up
- Percolatin’
- Icarus
- The Fault Line
- Bless Your Heart
- You’re A Pill
- You Get What You Get
- Love Me Like A Man
Honey Up was released on July 6, 2018.
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