Rachel McIntyre Smith Honeysuckle Friend Review by Gary Hill
I previously reviewed another EP from Rachel McIntyre Smith. I think I prefer that one simply because it seemed a little more diverse than this one does. This is more focused along the lines of country and folk music. Still, as good as everything here is, it’s a strong release. And, it’s too short for the more focused scope to ever feel redundant.
This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2025 Volume 2. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2025.
Track by Track Review
Grow Up Slow
Folk and country both merge on this. The vocal performance is the best part of it, but there is some killer acoustic jamming in the instrumental break. This has a nice mix between classic and fresh sounds.
Parentheses
Intricate acoustic guitar gets us underway here. From there the song becomes another roots based pop rock styled piece. It’s a classy piece of music, and I think I prefer it to the opener.
Memories In The Middle
A bouncy, more country based tune, this is fun stuff. It has some definite bluegrass angles at play.
Stoke The Coals
I really love the bouncy and energized arrangement on this thing. It has plenty of country music, but also lands in the zone of pop music.
Hold The Ladder
Slower and mellower, this is more balladic early, but it gets more powered up and almost bluesy later. It’s one of my favorite songs here. It’s a great way to end things in a strong way. The vocal performance is definitely one of the most powerful of the whole album.
