With their sixth album, Get It Honest, the New Orleans-based octet The Revivalists continue to mine bluesy, classic, and Southern-rock templates. Produced by Rich Costey — who also helmed their last album, 2023’s Pour It Out into the Night — Get It Honest reiterates the band’s eclectic bent and pop attunement, brimming with singalong hooks.
On previous albums, vocalist David Shaw often swung between confidence and doubt, defiant swagger contrasted with burdensome remorse. With the aptly titled Get It Honest, lyrical assessments are more soberly conducted. On the hooky “Heart Stop,” for example, Shaw takes responsibility for his past: “Down in this hole we dug ourselves / I lost your love / It broke my heart.” On the anthemic chorus, he’s “lifted up” by colorful memories, even as he accepts that the relationship is unsalvageable.
