Andrew Weiss and Friends - The Honeymoon Suite (2018)

There’s a specific sound you get when you mix up The Beatles, Tom Petty and some 70’s magic in a recording room. A lot of people have already done what Andrew Weiss and Friends are doing, meaning their album The Honeymoon Suite probably won’t turn any heads or throw you into a new musical dimension. That being said, there is nothing wrong with playing the music you love. Where it may lack in innovation, it succeeds in soul. This is a rock album, reminiscent of a time when music wasn’t all about lighting fast guitar solos or ridiculous compositions. It’s on the softer side, offering a relaxing sound to whoever might be inclined to give it a shot.

The band is composed of a three-piece consisting of Andrew Weiss on vocals, guitar and piano, as well as his friends Phil Anthony on bass and John Venezia on drums. A lot of the music is acoustic, and the loudest it gets is probably during the gnarly solo on “The Conscientious Objector.” Less to say, this isn’t the type of music that will get you ready for battle. Like his music, Andrew Weiss has a soft voice, but proves he can hit those high notes when he means to, like on “Best of the Broken Hearted.” There isn’t much to say about the rhythm section; they keep the rhythm well enough and most would say that’s all they have to do, but I always like seeing a drummer and bassist connect and show us how well they can play. To be fair though, there are a few songs where they got a good groove going and the solos are electric enough to give you a good jolt.

The sound quality is great. In my opinion, precious time was put in making sure the music sounded great and it paid off. Even the bass, which is often forgotten in the mix, was given much importance. It’s hard to catch sometimes when the drums kick in, but subtracting it from the equation would definitely leave an empty space in the music. All in all, The Honeymoon Suite is the album you should get for Christmas if you’re in the mood for something more relaxing. As I said, this album probably won’t shock you and make you want to buy every single copy of it that ever existed, but then again, that might not be the point. This is music from the heart with some deep lyrics, and if that’s what you’re into, I suggest you support this band in every way possible !