Nearly three years after the release of its then latest album, Brand New, independent funk act Honey Made returned last month with its new album, Charge It To The Band Fund. Spanning only seven songs, the album is a mostly successful new offering from the group though not perfect. The album succeeds in part through its featured musical arrangements, which will be examined shortly. While the musical content featured throughout the record proves positive, the fact that the group felt the need to use so much foul language this time out alongside its otherwise positive lyrical themes really does detract from the record’s overall enjoyment. Luckily this is not enough to doom the record but is undeniably a concern. This will be discussed a little later. Speaking of the lyrical themes, they are once again their own positive to the whole of the album. They will also be addressed later. Each item noted plays its own important part to the whole of Charge It To The Band Fund. All things considered they make the album an imperfect new offering from Honey Made but still at least worth hearing at least once.
Charge It To The Band Fund, the latest album from Honey Made, is an imperfect new offering from the band but still enjoyable. The record’s success comes in part through its featured musical arrangements. For the most part the arrangements continue the group’s trend of revisiting the vintage funk sounds of days gone by and giving those sounds and styles new life. There is one exception to that rule this time out. It comes in the form of ‘Ashy Pockets (My Mode).’ In the case of this song the group leans more in a rock-oriented sound and style. The use of the horns alongside the heavy guitars and the organ make the arrangement the most standout moment among the album’s arrangements. That is especially considering that this sound and style comes in the song’s choruses while the verses are more of a modern hybrid hip-hop/funk approach. That contrast of sounds and styles makes for even more interest.
In contrast to that work, the likes of the much earlier entry, ‘Vibin’ throws back to the sounds and styles that made the Motown era great. This is evidenced through the distinct vocal styling and guitar line alongside the use of the horns and guitar. ‘DFA,’ which closes out the album, is more of a 90s hip-hop style work that also infuses vintage funk leaning for its own unique presentation certain to engage and entertain audiences. When this song’s arrangement is considered alongside those of the record’s other entries, the subtle diversity in each of the arrangements does plenty to keep listeners engaged and entertained.
While the overall arrangements presented throughout Charge It To The Band Fund do plenty to make the album worth hearing, there is one major negative to the album’s presentation. That negative is the foul language that permeates the album’s lyrical content. Honey Made’s members did not need to work blue on Brand New to make it work and to get its positive lyrical themes across, so it boggles the mind as to why the group felt the need to drop so many s-bombs, f-bombs and even use of the n-word here as part of the whole. It really takes away from the otherwise positive lyrical content that accompanies the album’s musical content. It means the group’s otherwise positive content can only be enjoyed by audiences over the age of 18. It really is a disappointing change of pace this time out.
There is no doubt the overt adult language that accompanies the album’s otherwise positive lyrical content is difficult to handle especially considering the group did not have to go down that proverbial road in its previous album. Whether it is enough to doom the album is up for debate in this case, especially considering the positive impact of the album’s musical arrangements. To that end, the noted themes do help the album’s presentation at least to a point. The theme in the album’s opener, ‘Get On Up,’ for instance, is just a celebratory piece about getting on the dance floor. ‘Love It,’ which comes later in the brief album’s run, celebrates (or seems to) the joy of parenthood. This is another one of the songs that has so much unnecessary adult language. It would have worked just as well if not better without that language, too. ‘Ashy Pockets (My Mode)’ meanwhile infers a relatable matter of being unhappy at work but feeling stuck where one is even despite that unhappiness. ‘Upstairs’ is just as familiar in regard to its lyrical theme as it finds its subject wanting his woman to let him know what she is thinking. He wants to know what is going on “upstairs.” This is another theme that will easily connect with audiences and when it is considered alongside the other themes addressed here and with the record’s other lyrical topics, the whole gives audiences at least some more reason to take in this record. When the album’s overall lyrical content is paired with its musical arrangements, that collective makes for reason enough to hear Charge It To The Band Fund at least once. This is despite the negative of the album’s blue language.
Charge It To The Band Fund, the latest offering from Honey Made, is a mostly positive new offering from the independent neo-funk/soul outfit that is worth hearing at least once. The record’s appeal comes in part through its featured musical arrangements, which continue the band’s trend of producing catchy, infectious grooves through a blend of vintage and more modern funk and soul leanings. The arrangements are not only catchy and infectious but they are unique from one another and from those featured in the album’s predecessor, Brand New. While the record’s musical content gives listeners reason enough to hear the presentation, its lyrical content proves somewhat problematic. That is because of the foul language that is incorporated into that content. The band ties so much unnecessary foul language into its presentation. The group did not need to work blue on Brand New to make its overall lyrical content enjoyable, so there was really no need to go that route this time out. It really is disappointing. To that end, the lyrical themes that accompany the album’s musical arrangements does prove positive even despite that unnecessary foul language. It presents themes that will easily resonate with and inspire audiences. When those otherwise positive lyrical themes pair with the album’s positive musical arrangements, the whole therein makes Charge It To The Band Fund not the best new offering from Honey Made but still worth hearing at least once.
Charge It To The Band is available now. More information on the album is available along with all of Honey Made’s latest news at:
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