Sweating Honey: Infinity's Doorstop

Published: March 10th, 2006 04:00 AM
Last Modified: October 3rd, 2007 05:33 PM

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AK Soul 2005 Summer Meltdown, Vol. 1.

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J.J. Tranquilla "Tranquilla"

J.J. Tranquilla "Tranquilla"

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Download: Selected songs available for listening at www.myspace.com/sweatinghoney.

Lots of bands say their music can't fit inside a box — too many styles represented, too much experimentation to warrant a label. There's usually an element of truth in that, but at times it's overblown. Really, why would a little jazz influence or a bluesy solo or two keep you from calling yourselves a rock band?

But Sweating Honey, a five-piece group from Fairbanks that includes trumpets, sax and organ, truly changes it up. And besides using the general label "jam band," to describe their artistic style would require a lengthy index of categorizations, for real.

On their most recent album, "Infinity's Doorstop," there's "Crazy Hazy Days," a plodding blues track reminiscent of Tom Waits that suddenly pivots and runs headlong into an guitar solo of straight rock 'n' roll. "Mr. Sunday Morning" opens with a little poetry, then swerves seamlessly into emotion-laden electric guitar, drum and bass. The penultimate track is nothing but spoken word; the title track is pure soul, loaded with a ton of sensuous energy. And "Hide and Seek" is a reggae song, plain and simple, with some excellent horn, some a cappella vocals and — like many other segments of the album — lyrics infused with political consciousness.

"Bris of a Nation" might be the highlight. This is character music, the kind that evokes times past and people unknown, a scene from a movie, maybe. The track, suitably with its title, has a strong klezmer feel. Yeah, klezmer. Plus, it starts out as a waltz. And over the course of the eight-minute piece, it morphs into a freewheeling rap.

Throughout "Infinity's Doorstop," the spirited and talented Sweating Honey manages to be lively but laid back, energetic yet mellow. They are loose and ragged in their instrumentation, but in the best possible way: They sound effortless and casual even as they fit it all together, loping along in time.

— Lillie Dremeaux

ldremeaux@adn.com

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