Stream: Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, ‘PTP’

Daiana Feuer on November 29th, 2016

0

Austin soul-funk band Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears are set to release their first new album since 2013’s Vagrant Records-released “Electric Slave.” “Backlash,” out Feb. 10, is the band’s fourth studio album and it’s even hornier than the last one. That is, you’ll hear Stax-inspired horn sections all over these 10 party-driven, groove-worthy new songs.

Joe Lewis learned to play guitar at the pawn shop he worked at as a teenager. In 2009, when his band’s debut album (produced by Spoon’s Jim Eno), “Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is!,” came out on Lost Highway Records, he was driving a fish delivery truck to make ends meet, and the band quickly became an Austin favorite. For the new record, Lewis drew inspiration from Lightnin’ Hopkins, Iggy Pop, and Nile Rodgers. He says, “I wanted to go for more of a soul/blues/rock-’n’-roll sound compared to the last one—the kind of stuff I was doing back in the day, but with the songwriting a little more evolved.” Lyrically the album is about “dealing with the backlash from the things you’ve done in the past,” confronting regret in a cathartic explosion of energy.

||| Stream: “PTP”