Sitting With Honey, I’m Using Again by Sassparilla | Nick & Tiff Music Blog

I recently had the opportunity to spend time with Honey, I’m Using Again before its official release, and I genuinely enjoyed sitting with this record. There’s something refreshing about hearing an album unfold without outside noise — just letting the songs speak for themselves.

Sassparilla, who originated out of Portland, Oregon and now make their home in Colorado, make the kind of music that invites you to slow down and really listen. Honey, I’m Using Again doesn’t rush to impress or overwhelm — instead, it settles in, letting its songs unfold naturally and reveal themselves over time. From the first few listens, it felt like a record built on honesty, restraint, and emotional weight, blending a modern folk sensibility with a deep sense of old-school Americana.

A stripped-down foundation with old-school roots

Honey, I’m Using Again was written and recorded by Kevin Blackwell in a stripped-down, home-recorded setting, and that intimacy comes through immediately. There’s a rawness to the album that feels intentional — nothing flashy, nothing overproduced, just songs that are allowed to exist in their natural emotional state.

Across the record, recurring elements like group singing, banjo, harmonica, and fiddle help shape its identity. These textures aren’t used for decoration; they feel purposeful, adding warmth, atmosphere, and a sense of shared experience. While the album has a modern sensibility, there are moments that feel rooted in a much older tradition — songs that echo the plainspoken honesty and emotional weight you’d associate with artists like Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson.

The drumming throughout the album deserves mention as well. Played by Blackwell’s 13-year-old son, it never overreaches — always finding the groove and supporting the songs exactly where they need it. There’s a real sense of restraint and feel here, which fits the album’s emotional tone perfectly.

The album works beautifully as a complete front-to-back listen, and the more time I spent with it, the more I appreciated it as a whole. Rather than single out only a couple of tracks, I chose a few songs to highlight here — “One Morning,” “Walk in My Shoes,” “Bad Luck and Trouble,” “Maggie Mae,” and the closing title track, “Honey, I’m Using Again.” Each of them captures something essential about the album, while still reflecting the strength of the record in its entirety.

Reflection and mortality

“One Morning” is one of the first songs that truly stopped me. It feels like someone taking stock of their life in a deeply honest way — coming to terms with the idea that one morning they’ll be gone and all of this will be over, an inner struggle with the worst of thoughts. It’s reflective and vulnerable without feeling melodramatic.

There’s a calm, almost matter-of-fact quality to the song that gives it an old-school feel, reminiscent of the way classic country and folk songs confronted big ideas without dressing them up.

Empathy over judgment

“Walk in My Shoes” hit me hard because of its message. It feels like a direct pushback against constant judgment — a reminder that you don’t really know what someone has done, seen, or felt unless you’ve lived it yourself.

The song carries a quiet wisdom that feels timeless. It’s the kind of message that could’ve been written decades ago, yet still feels completely relevant now.

Momentum and shared struggle

On “Bad Luck and Trouble,” the album shifts into a more driving groove. The beat is easy to clap along to, and the claps built into the song feel natural rather than forced.

It’s catchy without being shallow, and lines like “bad luck and trouble finds us all, run you down like a cannonball” stick in the best possible way. There’s an old barroom-folk energy here, but it’s delivered with a modern looseness that keeps it from feeling nostalgic for nostalgia’s sake.

A timeless standout

“Maggie Mae” is the song that stood out to me the most on first listen. Clever writing with a great melody. The fiddle playing is great throghout, and the group singing at the end of the song fits the song perfectly.

It sounds familiar in the way great folk songs often do — like it could’ve existed for years — without feeling borrowed or unoriginal. That balance between tradition and individuality is one of the album’s biggest strengths, and this track captures it perfectly.

A final confession

The album closes with the title track, “Honey, I’m Using Again,” and it feels like a deliberate final statement. After everything that comes before it, the song lands as an honest confession — the narrator recognizes he’s in a bad place and openly acknowledges it, even asking for help.

It’s devastatingly honest, yet still musically catchy, which somehow makes the admission hit even harder. As a closer, it doesn’t offer an easy resolution, but it does offer truth — and that makes it a powerful way to end the record.

Final thoughts

Spending time with Honey, I’m Using Again felt less like listening to a collection of songs and more like sitting with someone who’s telling the truth about where they’ve been in their life. It’s an album that blends modern folk sensibilities with an unmistakable old-school spirit — carried by thoughtful arrangements, restrained playing, and songs that put honesty first.

This is a record that rewards being heard front to back, without distractions — and it’s one I genuinely enjoyed spending time with.

Honey, I’m Using Again by Sassparilla is scheduled for release on February 20, 2026.

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