URL: https://abbyzmusic.com/
I value, more than all else in music, albums
and artists who can transport me into their own personal vision for a time. I
want it to be a fully immersive affair. Longtime folk music singer/songwriter
Abby Zotz accomplishes that and more with her first solo album Local
Honey and, definitely in some senses, the album marks a break with her
extraordinarily rewarding past in favor of a new dawn. Many of the musical
strengths defining her two decade musical career are present on this album, as
well as the roots of her classical education, are in evidence throughout the
collection, but she has expanded on the sound she hears in her mind with Local
Honey and sounds comfortable on every cut.
Some people might find the premise behind the
opener “Stability” to be a bit predictable, but this isn’t necessarily a bad
thing as part of the joy the song produces comes from hearing how well she
executes the inevitable turns in its lyrical and musical narrative plus what
added personality she can bring to a familiar theme. The energy crackling off
the recording never overwhelms listeners, but it’s ideal for the album’s
beginning track. Zotz latches onto a funky retro vibe with the second tune “Big
Hope” and the title alone reflects the inherently upbeat slant defining this album.
It isn’t a Pollyanna approach to the world, however, and that’s reflected in
the bluesy guitar lines cutting through the song’s mix. The production is a
constant strength for Local Honey and gives these already
great tunes even more dramatic punch.
“Peace Sweet Peace” and “Pirouette” are
wildly contrasting songs illustrative of her far reaching talents. The light-stepping
musical approach of her gospel cut “Peace Sweet Peace” strikes a pleasing
universal note but the latter song is a much shapelier, tightly controlled
number with a shuffle like sound that Zotz’s voice slides through with great
confidence. “Pirouette” is one of the finest lyrics on Local Honey,
but the later track “Be Here Now” may be the sharpest piece of writing on the
release. There are some particularly winning lines near the beginning drawing
together a character with a few brief strokes and the remainder of the song
fleshes it out with a single wasted movement.
The comforting touch of “Hush Baby Waltz” is
one of the album’s more elegant musical turns and the vocal for this song is
framed perfectly against its arrangement. The apex of her nuance on Local
Honey comes with the song “Sea Change” and the weaving of her voice,
taking obvious delight in the lyrics and phrasing alike, plays off the
musicians with a sparkle in her eye. I didn’t enjoy the album’s ending, at
first, thinking it too light, but “You’ll Never Know” grew on me with a few
listens because it’s such a confident, underplayed conclusion for Local
Honey. It’s an important new turn for her musical career, but the variety
of her first solo album heralds a critical turning point in her life as well.
Levi
Colston
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