It would be easy to typecast the Honeydogs as Americana underlings, roots rock wannabes or simply another band from the Midwest bearing aspirations for wider recognition. Yet, any assumption of this kind would likely be based strictly on happenstance or an occasional encounter. Anyone who’s followed the band’s evolution over the course of the past decade knows that the Honeydogs are far more intriguing than their ear-friendly melodies let on; their last album, 10,000 Years, was hailed as a masterwork of apocalyptic proportions, a work that posed difficult questions about the clash of social and philosophical mores. The new album is an equally contentious affair - its title refers to neurons in the brain that control emotions, especially fear - and with themes that focus on obsession, addiction and anxiety, it’s hardly the breezy romp that its melodies sometimes suggest. Indeed, the drift and sway that steer such songs as “Truth Serum,” “Tar Baby Napalm,” “Belle Epoque,” and the title track belie chief Dog Adam Levy’s deeper, darker intents. While some of the songs hold to the alt-country template - specifically “Too Close To The Sun” and “Elan Vital,” arguably the album’s two best tracks - the sound veers dramatically, from the cocktail croon of “Ms. Ketchup and the Arsonist” and the hipster stance of “The Firing Squad Reloads” to the hollow-eyed despair of “Heads or Tales” and the curious ELO-like “Invertebrate.” An obtuse instrumental underscore lends itself to this freeform feel, oftentimes making Amygdala as murky as its title implies.
~ Lee Zimmerman
Release date: January 16, 2007
Buy Album from CD Universe
