Honer straddles lines between country, folk, indie rock through ‘Wanted’
In just a few short years, Evan Honer has transformed from a rising artist into one of the most emotionally compelling voices in modern day country-folk. Following the success of his 2024 album Fighting For, Honer’s newest project, Everything I Wanted, pushes further into indie-rock territory while still maintaining his country-folk storytelling roots. It was evident that Honer was destined to go far beyond the typical indie folk circuit. With his music being able to convey a sense of vulnerability so raw it feels as if these emotions are still being felt, his newest record is no exception. A captivating sense of sadness and longing spreads throughout the album, anchored by a sound that refuses to stay within the lines of a single genre.
photo from Evan Honer’s Instagram page
From his debut with a cover of Tyler Childers’ “Jersey Giant,” it was clear Honer possessed a voice that felt as comforting as a warm bowl of soup on a cold winter day. Even though he is native to Arizona, Honer doesn't possess the typical country accent so prevalent in modern music. This has helped Honer define his sound as a musician, with one of his biggest inspirations being the country legend Jason Isbell who he even references in his single “IDK shit about cars” with the line “Isbell had it right, I get lonely at night.” However, Honer also claims to take inspiration from many indie rock bands such as the recently popular Djo with their fuzzy guitar tones. This unique mix of inspirations and voice has shaped his sound, and with Everything I Wanted, he blends country-folk with indie rock energy creating an emotionally raw album that highlights his strength as an introspective lyricist while still grounding listeners into a familiar song structure.
These influences are immediately recognizable in the opening track, which serves more as a statement than just an introduction. Right off the bat listeners are hit with a sharp electric guitar that creates an energetic indie-rock opening before easing into a softer acoustic chorus reflective of Honer’s country-folk roots. This, paired with a bright voice and heavy lyrics, allows Honer to show listeners who he is, and how this is Everything He Wanted.
After exploding onto the record, Honer takes a step back with the next group of much more solemn and stripped back songs that feel as if he is pouring his soul out right into the album. In “Place I Hate” Honer sings the line “I'm doing good, making it look like I'm doing just fine, but the truth is, I'm getting used to getting drunk all the time.” This lyric carries a sense of trauma, stripping away the “I’m fine” facade of modern adulthood; it conveys a message of appearing well while internally falling apart. Lyrics like these make Honer feel see-through, because most of his songs are about personal experiences. This allows Honer to connect more deeply with his audience and make himself more relatable.
Honer continues to show his incredible lyricism in “Long Road,” a ballad about the feeling of exhaustion and the need to escape, where he states he’s “tired of this walking, and I’m tired of this bar, running low on quarters man I wish I had a car, cause 50 miles an hour makes an hour not so far.” Everyone knows the feeling of time trickling by and how an hour can feel like an eternity, and Honer adds to the feeling by saying that getting away and escaping from the life he’s living makes the time seem to fly by. This line resonates with many people who feel stuck in repetitive routines and long for escape. It creates a strong sense of longing, the feeling of not wanting to get away, but needing to get away.
While there is no doubt this LP is impressive, these groups of similar songs can begin to feel a little mundane through the listening. Many of these grouped together songs are back to back with each other, and they begin to feel very similar, with tracks like “Long Road,” “Curtain,” and “It’s a Home” following a similar structure of a quiet acoustic verse that gradually builds into a loud stomp-and-shout chorus. While effective at first, hearing this formula repeatedly makes several tracks hard to differentiate.
However, despite this, Honer does an excellent job of breaking up these monotonous groups of songs with a change of pace such as “Waiting Room,” a much more upbeat and unique song, that breathes new life right back into the album. Despite clocking in at just over 90 seconds, the track revitalizes the record, breaking the cycle of the previous acoustic sadness. It tells the story of a loving relationship, not a typical relationship, but a real, raw, and emotional relationship. One where neither side would ever dream of leaving the other. Diving into the lyrics, there is a humble moment where Honer admits he was “never good at nothing, but I’d say loving you is something.” He finds a sense of purpose in a love so sturdy that he is already building a house for them to “move in too soon”. It’s a beautiful breath of fresh air from the previous tracks, and it’s songs like this that really shine on the album due to their diversity and fresh feeling. They change up the pacing and rejuvenate the listener to prepare them for the next song.
It is clear that Evan Honer has made his mark on the country-folk and indie world, with a toe dipped in each genre. His unique sound comes together in the beautiful masterpiece that is Everything I Wanted, which helps blur the lines between Nashville and indie. Honer’s resonant lyrics make him feel grounded. With such deep emotions in each composition it makes sense why so many listeners relate to the many excellently crafted lyrics, and while his sound may get slightly repetitive, it is the hypnotic and familiar structure that keeps listeners coming back, and Honer manages to keep listeners on their toes with his addition of much more experimental songs in between the usual sound that keep the album feeling fresh. The entire project feels much more like a statement, as if Honer has finally found himself with this one and is showing the world who he is. If this record is any indication of where his career is headed, Evan Honer may soon become one of the defining voices of modern day country-folk.
Grade: B
Evan Honer’s Everything I wanted has flashes of brilliance, ultimately serving as a stand out message to the world of country-folk music.
by Evan Taylor
Published April 27, 2026
Oshkosh West Index Volume 122 Issue VII