Article Contributed by Margaret Willard
Published on 2026-10-07
New Orleans-based, GRAMMY-nominated guitarist and singer-songwriter Ari Teitel of The Rumble and Dumpstaphunk will release his next solo album, honest., on Friday, November 13, with limited-edition vinyl available for pre-order now. The announcement comes with the release of the lead single, “caught in the reflection,” out now everywhere.
Teitel’s third solo LP, honest., is arguably his most personal release to date, with themes of sincere introspection and a do-it-yourself ethos throughout. The record casts a beautifully wide net, sidestepping the neo-soul scent of Teitel’s 2022 album I Got My Thing. Instead, honest. is crunchier, meatier and packed with earworm hooks. Drawing influences from Prince to The Beatles to Mk.gee, honest. boasts an arresting pop sensibility that demands your immediate, undivided attention.
“I knew I wanted to do a more DIY album this time around,” Teitel says of the album’s eight tracks. “Going in, I was more interested in what I could achieve on my own, sharpening both my production and songwriting muscles. I wanted every single track crafted with absolute, unyielding intention.”
The self-produced album was recorded largely in his home studio, with contributions from his New Orleans brethren in Andriu Yanovski of The Rumble, Deven Trusclair of Dumpstaphunk, Andrew Campanelli of The Revivalists and Nigel Hall.
The lead single, “caught in the reflection,” was co-written with Yanovski. Anchored by a 12/8 shuffle courtesy of Trusclair, Teitel lets his guitars go full Twin Cities, weaving them around texturized stabs of a vintage Korg M1 software synth. Beneath the track’s infectious, danceable exterior lies a lyrical truth. The song directly confronts the modern ego trap, undressing that toxic, cyclical loop of social media where we chase digital validation only to end up more insecure. The proper pop ditty doubles as a mirror to our collective digital neurosis.
The record balances this technological anxiety with moments of vulnerability. On “tree of life,” Teitel invokes a Sly Stone aesthetic, deploying a vintage Maestro Rhythm King drum machine loop but subverting it into a sophisticated 6/4 time signature. When Andrew Campanelli, drummer for The Revivalists, heard the track, he brought a set of unused lyrics that coalesced perfectly with Teitel’s groove. Campanelli also helped cook up “i think about you,” a sultry slow jam dedicated to Teitel’s wife.
Yet it’s the title track, “honest.,” that serves as the album’s emotional anchor. In a production move inspired by Stevie Wonder’s starkest masterpieces, the song is entirely drumless. It features the acoustic warmth of Amina Scott’s upright bass and an elegant high-low combination of flute and bass clarinet courtesy of Ari Kohn.
Throughout this salient statement, Teitel steps out from the safety of the ensemble to confront himself in the studio glass. It’s raw, relatable and undeniably authentic.
Bringing this deeply layered, studio-crafted wizardry to a live stage is the next giant hurdle. With up to six layered guitar tracks on a single song, he’s hired an extra guitarist just to survive the album release show. But like The Beatles making Abbey Road, Ari Teitel wasn’t thinking about stage logistics when chasing the muse in his home studio; he was just being honest.
honest. will be released November 13, 2026. Digital and limited-edition vinyl pre-orders are available through Bandcamp.
