Album Review: Milly Tabak & The Miltones – Honest Woman

Milly Tabak & The Miltones – Honest Woman
(Independent)

Reviewed by Doug Peters.

The Miltones are back, this time with a slight change in name (lead singer-songwriter Milly Tabak placed firmly out the front and leading this superb band of musicians) but with the same (if not a little more well produced) Americana Blues inspired sound.

Honest Woman was recorded live in Auckland’s Roundhead Studios using vintage equipment and techniques including recording direct to tape instead of the usual digital process, then mastered in Nashville by renowned producer Paul Blackmore (the story goes that he mixed one of Milly’s favourite influential albums Carolina Confessions by The Marcus King Band) giving it a certain authenticity that is often missing in such recordings by modern artists. This should also ensure the vinyl release of this album will be something special indeed – I’m certainly excited to drop the needle on this one for the first time!

Listening to this album instantly places me in a small town hall of some out of the way rural location, whiskey in hand, Milly and her band serenading me from the small dusty stage at the end of the room. And I love it! From out and out traditional country singer-songwriter numbers like the title track ‘Honest Woman’ and the Gospel-lite ‘Hey Sister’ to the superb ‘Congac’ which brings visions of Fleetwood Mac in their prime, albeit with some crunchy chorus guitars and a perfectly ripping solo that provides that much needed bite to take the track to the next level.

In fact the success of many of the tracks on this album can be attributed to the stunning guitar playing of Liam Pratt, a little guitar break here, a restrained solo there, always there to add a little excitement to the songs while never being in your face, the mark of a true seasoned professional. That’s not to say the rest of The Miltones are just there for show – while Chip Matthews (bass) and Tom Broome (drums) provide a rock solid rhythm section that holds many of the songs together, Guy Harrison adds a magical sparkle to many tracks with his piano/organ playing. This is especially evident on the track ‘Roam’ (one of my favourites on the album) – this track is a great example of a band who have been playing together for an extended time and are able to feed off each other, everyone getting the chance to showcase their expertise while never taking away from the other musicians. A special mention must go to the horn section of Liam Rolfe, Nick Atkinson and Godfrey de Grut as well – I haven’t been so surprised to hear a saxophone solo since Ghost’s ‘Miasma’, the main difference being that it actually works well and sounds great on ‘Roam’…

The latest single from Honest Woman – ‘Liven Up The Night’ is the most pop-country track of the album, and as such is a bit of a departure from the rest of this body of work. But it still manages to sit nicely among the rest of the tracks, the funk undertones bubbling away underneath Milly’s wonderful country influenced vocal performance – magnificently catchy. ‘Why Don’t You Love It’ and ‘Woman In Need’ (as an aside I would love to hear local country soul singer Tami Neilson duet with Milly on this track at some point, perhaps in a live performance…) both finish the album off on a high note and definitely leave me wanting more, yet I am still completely satisfied with the musical journey this whole album has taken me on. This is truly the mark of a great album, and one that is sure to see Milly Tabak & The Miltones well on their way to becoming a household name not just here, but everywhere worldwide that this style of music is appreciated. Roll on those live shows!

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