Age Rings: Black Honey

Age Rings
Black Honey
Self-Released [2011]









Fire Note Says: After 5 years, Age Rings makes a grandiose sophomore return with the double album Black Honey!

Album Review:
Boston band Age Rings first landed in our player back in 2006 with their excellent debut Look...The Dusk Is Growing, which even landed at #22 in our Top 25 of the year. At that point, I predicted that Age Rings would take over the college airwaves and would have been well on their way to indie stardom. Instead, the group disappeared from releasing a follow up only to finally resurface here in 2011 with this massive 22 song double record titled Black Honey. At a little under an hour and half the album takes some digesting but once you are immersed into Age Rings world, you really do not feel a need to return anytime soon. Some of this instant likability for me is frontman Ted Billing’s voice sounding like a combo of Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) meets Mark Oliver Everett (Eels), as it really takes control of each track. This command keeps the listener interested regardless of the song's style like in the distorted rocker "Dreaming Forever" or his smooth swaying vocal swagger on the peaceful "Ups And Downs". Age Rings takes on a more Replacements vibe on "So It Revolves" while having a Ryan Adams singer/songwriter moment in "Under The Rug". Don't mistake all of these comparisons as an identity crisis because it is really only being used here in a good way to compare the relatively unknown Age Rings to the masses because Black Honey is a solid unique representation of what they offer. Sure, could this output been trimmed down? Yeah, probably, but I guarantee after sitting with all 22 tracks for several spins you will also have a hard time picking and choosing because they all shine in their own way and grow with you after repeat plays. Here is hoping that this time out Age Rings gets more positive press and with the rumor already being that a third record is currently in the works, it is a great thing that we won't have to wait another 5 years for this band to take off!

Key Tracks: "So It Revolves", "Explode Me", "Birthday Song", "A Crack In The Porcelain"

Bands With Similar Fire:
Wilco
Ryan Adams
Eels

Age Rings: Look...The Dusk Is Growing [Fire Note Review 12/19/06]

Age Rings Website
Age Rings Facebook

-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony