The Henleys

“Honey Badger” by The Henleys

This is a rock and roll song, fierce and wild. It has hard
rock and heavy metal influences throughout and is
topped off with a grizzly soulful vocal. It is a
relentless mix and it has the drive to really make an
impact. Another exploration of the garage rock
theme that keeps on cropping up; this is perhaps the
hardest take on the album. Superb. - Tom Hilton

Southern rock with crispy guitars and the beautiful voice of singer Gabriela Lopez for the rookies The Henleys, who recently released the album "On the Rocks". We listen to the track 'Marcus Gordon'. -

The Henleys present themselves in classic rock line-up, ie guitar, bass, drums and of course vocals, on their debut "On The Rocks". The foursome comes from Tampa, Florida and has been on the move musically since 2016.
In the beginning, drummer Chris and Basser Evan just jammed together. Then guitarist John Gangemi joined and the trio started to write some pieces. Then a singer was found and so it went on for a while with some shows. But it didn't really want to ignite and the separation between guitarist and singer was on the cards. As the band itself writes, one door closed, but another opened. Through this door came Ryan Baker as the new guitarist and Gabriela Lopez as the singer. They have been together in this lineup for about two years now.
That you decided to produce an album yourself was not a bad idea, because you can't deny the pieces that someone understands his craft. Rooted in classic rock with excursions in the direction of blues and jam, exciting numbers can be heard. The musicians also understand something about songwriting, creating excitement and grabbing the listener by the eggs. There is also nothing to complain about in terms of craftsmanship, which applies at least one hundred percent to the instrumentalists. There are a few deductions from the vocals, because Gabriela does indeed have a voluminous organ, but at one time or another she doesn't seem to keep the tone, or doesn't hit it 100 percent straight away. As already mentioned, the voice is not from bad parents. Sometimes hard, almost like that of a Joyce Jean Kennedy, then again spherical and crystal clear as Grace Slick once demonstrated so beautifully.
So "The Stash" is a prime example for the latter and although there are quite vocal heights, this is not a problem for Gabriela. She also has everything under control in the follow-up track "Stevie & The Knicks", a quiet blues-influenced number. It seems as if she is having some difficulty in the pieces where the vocals are less prominent. It should have been with my criticism, because after listening to the album several times it becomes less and less noticeable, or rather: it bothers less and less.
The music itself moves in the large field of so-called classic rock. There are passages played harder, but the large part is determined by blues-soaked and almost psychedelic pieces. Clean drum and bass work prepare the polished floorboard on which the guitar can deliver wonderful solos. Mr. Baker's guitar work is at its finest and knows how to inspire. Especially in the throttled numbers ("Johnny 2X" is an example) his string gimmicks are extremely fascinating. In "Lemon Shine", the quotes to the master cannot be dismissed out of hand. Unfortunately, this track is also the one that shows the weaknesses of the singer particularly strongly.
That may be live - and the Henleys must be a fat bank - less important, on record it is the only point of criticism for this group. "On The Rocks" is the debut album by the Americans. Let's see how that develops. Maybe a few vocal exercises with the professional, because power is in Gabriela's organ, it just has to be channeled. Otherwise a really rock album. - Ulli Heiser

“A beautiful voice, very good compositions"
"The band is very good and has everything a rock group needs"

8/10 - Carlos Lichman

The Henley's are part of the new wave of contemporary blues bands blending rock with the blues and re-energizing the genre. See/hear part of the "future" of the blues as they perform songs from their exciting debut EP and put on their hi-energy show. - John Kelly