Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears – “PTP” (Singles Going Steady)

Adriane Pontecorvo: Power! Lewis and his Honeybears have it, and they let it loose on “PTP”, a tight, groovy burst of some serious soul. This is sweatin’, howlin’ R&B with a lot of hot, hot horns and Joe Lewis coming right at you with a voice made for old school funk. The Honeybears is a group that plays with perfect musical unity, and when Lewis screams, there’s no doubt that this is an ensemble with the gumption and skill to blaze its way into a well-deserved spotlight. Let’s hope the upcoming full album helps make that ride a little easier. [10/10]

Chris Ingalls: Lewis rarely deviates from his prescribed format, and that’s OK – few contemporary artists combine guitar-based blues and funk with this kind of potency. The guitar playing is sizzling and insistent, and the horns do a spectacular job of egging on Lewis through a tremendous retro funk workout. Not the best thing he’s ever done, but it’s still a killer track. [8/10]

Steve Horowitz: Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears create a nice groove. The vocals are strongly sung while the percussion and horns give the track a funky touch. However, the music remains static. One gets caught in the groove without getting in deeper. The tempo may be solid, but “PTP” comes off as a pleasant diversion more than a fleshed out song. [6/10]

Paul Carr: With good old fashioned rock n roll making a resounding comeback in recent years this is a reminder of what it sounds like when it’s done properly. This is a masterclass on how to base a concise, bluesy rock ‘n’ roll song on a barnstorming, simple guitar riff. The song swaggers and grooves along, and from the strut of the bassline to the self-assured drums, this knows what it is. This is a festival-ready romp perfectly ripe to get the crowd bouncing. [8/10]

Scott Zuppardo: Swanky in the pocket, soulful rock’n’roll, a solid groove with which to move and empower oneself. [7/10]

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears‘ new album Backlash releases 10 February 2017.

SCORE: 7.80