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The Honest Mistakes

The Honest Mistakes keep it simple. Breezy country-rock handled with care and craft, these are swinging songs suited well for venues with peanut shells on the floor and listeners that, well, like to keep things simple. Not that Break Up is unsophisticated, per se, but the whole way through it is very to the point, stylistically cozy, and miles away from the current independent music now considered "cool." The Honest Mistakes aren't blowing down any doors, nor are they trying to. But quaint doesn't mean obsolete.

On the cover is a big red cardboard heart being pulled apart by two hands, with those little talking heart Valentine's Day candies falling out of the gap. And that--and the album's name, of course--about sums it up: These are break-up songs, not particularly sad or mopey by any genre's standards, but the Honest Mistakes are soaking you in a whole lot of this: "Find a picture of your favorite friend, tonight/ take a look at it, as long as you can/ it might be the only thing you have left of them," from "Take a Picture," a song that practically begs a two-step as much as it begs a tissue. And then there's "You showed me so many things/ And I showed you the door/ 'Cause I don't want to hear your stupid stories anymore," from "Roses." Actually, 10 songs of that adds up to a pretty entertaining time, lyrically, and the music is the sort of retro kick you don't hear much of these days. A solid and unexpectedly fun ride.

For more information visit myspace.com/thehonestmistakes.

E-mail Michael Byrne