Customer Reviews

Makes Me Feel Better

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

the last album i listened to so obsessively was actually a mix tape i got from a strange, beautiful girl who dissapeared into the northwest somewhere. it reminded me of july weddings, paper lanterns and that feeling you get when you drive away from someone you know you'll never see again. at first, listening to Makes Me Feel Better heads me in a similar direction of music and cocktail induced, mind numbing, melancholic euphoria, of which i am a big fan. it hasnt failed yet though, when i find myself at the last track, Honeychurch Loves You, i actually do feel better, amazing. well chosen too, were the covers on the album, dolly parton,ralph stanley and neil young respectfully, though i think doctor stanley like myself would bear some resentment towards neil young, for reasons i will keep to myself. this is a beautiful, haunting album with a happy ending, and i would recommend it to anyone who doesnt want me to beat them up.

well i got the cd in the mail today, and thats all i've been listening to ever since. its a big improvement from the first cd, not saying that the first cd wasn't good, but i think with "makes me feel better" you see a nice progression going on within the songwriting. i enjoy all thats going on in the songs such as the pedal steel, the strings, and the harmonies. all of the songs are really great in their own way, but "chancery lane" and "honeychurch loves you" are by far the ones that have stuck out on the album. if you like belle & sebastian, simon & garfunkel, mojave 3, the beatles, etc. then "makes me feel better" is the cd for you.

I have long been a fan of Honeychurch's music, and I must say that this latest production lives up to all my expectations. Each song stands on its own merit, and together they create such a marvelous amalgam of styles that soothes, inspires and uplifts. "Welcome Home Spacegirl" and "Honeychurch Loves You" are at two opposite ends of the musical spectrum. One is very ethereal and well... spacey, and the other is very pop-ish and happy. And the cover songs are so well done, you'd swear they were original compositions. I highly recommend this album to all who love sweet harmonies, meaningful lyrics, and feeling good.

The Hopwoods, Shilough and Larissa, of Eastern, PA and their band Honeychurch have, with their first full-length record, produced a work of rare grace, subtlety and charm. The production, which may sound a bit murky at first, actually enhances the dense, ensemble quality of the instrumentalists who invariably couch their playing in precise, muted tones that both sooth and uplift. Cannily mixing original songs with sterling renditions of folk-rock and country classics, Honeychurch have elevated themselves to the first rank of a new generation of Americana recording artists. Though their obvious musical integrity might well consign them to relative obscurity, in a fairer world than ours, they would be famous. On the other hand, we do live in a fine world, though one rich in hardships, and both sides of that paradox make the best of "Makes Me Feel Better" resonate so deeply and truly in one's heart and soul. One minor quibble: the final song "Honeychurch Loves You" is a delicious slice of Brian Wilsonesque pop. It is gorgeous, but it is the only song of its sort on the record. Next time, Honeychurch, give us more pop with our roots!

Makes Me Feel Better is a passionate, earnest, redemptive, and deeply humane album that synthesizes various influences -- the incisive observations and haunting moods of Mark Kozelek, the cascading harmonies of the Byrds, the country-folk ambience of Gram Parsons and his musical descendants, among others -- into an utterly refreshing and original sound that is as warm and homey as a wood-heated cabin built on a mountainside with a view of the Infinite.

There's an uncontrived joy in songs like "Chancery Lane" that I barely felt was possible any more in music -- hearing the tune actually brings tears to my eyes -- and Shilough and Larissa Hopwood sing like wise angels who were born to harmonize together. There is meticulous craft in the arrangements here, but the album also has an appealingly casual and unpretentious quality, as if your sweetest friends happened to have a tasteful string section and a pedal steel guitar in their livingroom and invited you over for a night of transcendent music-making. In a pop landscape of shallow sentiment and bogus "emo" histrionics, this album stands out as among the best of what young American musicians have to offer. Honeychurch is the real thing, and I can't wait to hear what they come up with in the future.

This CD ranks with the Band's "Brown Album", CSN&Y's "Deja Vu" and Jackson Brown's "Late For The Sky". If you pass up an opportunity to hear this music you're really missing out. HIGHLY recommnded.

Crossing London on the Central Line recently (getting from one airport to another, with a stop at Notting Hill Gate, of course) I passed the Chancery Lane stop. In one of the many serendipitous moments of the trip, I stood there staring at the name on the station wall for the brief seconds that the train stopped, the chorus of Honeychurch's 'Chancery Lane' playing in my head, sounding as exquisite as ever.

I'm not sure if this is the best way to start a review. I'm not sure Lester Bangs, Kevin Pearce, or Alistair Fitchett would approve. I've never written a proper record review before. So many proper reviews sound so trite, and always seem to use the same adjectives. Or like I'm doing right now, decide to talk about something else besides the record in question.

So yes, you should buy this CD. That is if your not put off by country influences, covers of revered indie-pop songs, or songs by a guy named Vinnie. Its music for late afternoons/early evenings, during proper Fall weather with tea or alcohol in hand and bloodstream. It will also sound good sitting outside on a warm summer night, with fireflies. Or those first Spring days, when flowers have started to come out, the grass has turned green, and the sun feels that much warmer, and you want to fall in love two or three times by nightfall. (I'm stealing a bit of this lingo from Alistair, sorry...see www.tangents.co.uk).

The first half of this CD is nearly flawless. A lovely 'dream' like start to Chancery Lane with the overwhelming chorus. The drummer's song and Vinnie's up next changing the pace a bit, but keeping the quality just as high. And then a cover of Rocketship's Friendship and Love that out does the original ten fold. I dug out the original and compared it. Perhaps Rocketship has nostalgia value, but give Honeychurch's a few years, it will get there.

While the next half doesn't equal the first, there are plenty of bright spots. Mine are the cover of 'The Darkest Hour' and, of course everybody's favorite 'Honeychurch Loves You'. A corker of a closer. Leaves you with that skip in your step and the falling in love a couple times a day feeling.

So why only Four Stars? Personally I think too many CDs get five stars on this Amazon review thing. Five Stars should be reserved for things like Al Green's Greatest Hits, Incredible Blondes 'Where do I stand/True' 45, and first kisses. Honeychurch are getting there. They're almost there.

Take care
Carrick

Wow. When you find a record as beautiful and special as Honeychurch has made you want to share it with others. An alt-country masterpiece! Who are they and where are they now is what I want to know, because I want more. This album is wonderfully written with beautiful music and arrangements. Do yourself a favour and get this immediately. I can't imagine being disappointed.

Three favorite obscure bands: Desperate Bicycles, Television Personalities, and Honeychurch. Wheareas the first two bands almost thrived on obscurity and are well loved by their respective (overlapping) cult followings, Honeychurch deserves to be BIG. The music perfectly captures Autumn in Bucks County, PA - the leaves changing, the fireplace roaring. One of the most excellent examples of alt country released in the last 10 years - forget the first Ryan Adams album, forget the newest Bright Eyes album - this is the real deal. If you liked The Sixth Great Lake's "up the country" or "sunday bridge", this is the album for you. Neil Young crossed with Mark Kozelek (I think more Sun Kil Moon than RHP) with a bit of Mojave 3 mixed in, with just a touch of Beach Boys. The album starts off with some of the catchier songs and then settles into a nice groove. Standouts for me include "fields on fire", "the dinner song", "2nd chance", and "honeychurch loves you", the latter a brilliant take on the title of the late 70's beach boys album "the beach boys love you". A vast improvement over the first Honeychurch cd (although that one is worth seeking out as well), but not quite a masterpiece - that is yet to come. I spent the first 24 years of life in suburban Philadelphia and have spent the last 3 in the Seattle, WA area - everytime I'm a bit homesick I play this magnificent album. Well done!

You really should not live without this song, oh and, the rest of the album is not too bad either. Actually, the word bad should not be mentioned anywhere near Honeychurch. Come on, they cover "Birds"; you can never go wrong there. If your dream tour is Mark Kozelek, Mojave 3 and Low in the Autumn, than this is your "golden ticket". If you like this, check out Dolorean as well.