Black Honey: Black Honey Review
Tarantino meets goth in 2018s best(?) Indie album, as we introduce our newest writer.
Black Honey is quite possibly my favourite band. It’s been a tight contest at the top between three, but they might just edge it out. As the first “small” band I discovered, my first gig under 3000 people (the venue held 200, there were definitely less), and the band I’ve seen most live; they hold a unique place in my heart.
But wait a minute, just who is writing this? The more observant among you may have noticed that the author of this article is not called Madeline.
So, quickly, my name is Finlay, I’m 19, I’m a student usually based in London, and I spend entirely too much time listening to weird and arguably crap music. Hopefully, I’ll bring the good stuff here.
Back to Black Honey. Quite simply, I’m long overdue on reviewing their album, and thought getting it off my chest would be a good place to start here.
My elevator pitch would be “Tarantino fell into Brighton’s indie scene, walked through a haunted house, and used this to soundtrack the resultant film.” Western-style guitars intermix with synths that are alternately vicious and floaty over a consistently pounding rhythm section, topped off by singer Izzy B’s vocal that walks the tightrope between vulnerable and total bad bitch.
“Midnight” is a particular highlight. “Disco Stomper” is frankly an insufficient description. The synth that dominates in the traditional place of rhythm guitar is fat and fuzzy, and perfectly judged to let the vocal shine over what should be an overpowering element. Somehow, the middle eight feels like a vista to a duel outside a saloon, yet it fits perfectly. As the synth builds back in, then goes onto an astonishingly squelchy solo, you can’t help but want – no, need – to mosh. As the music video demonstrates, this is the gratuitous violence of the album.
If “Midnight” is the slaughter, “Into the Nightmare” is the preceding fall from grace. Written with Mike Kerr of Royal Blood, it’s a deeply twisted track. A strict beat and bassline dictate the pace, fighting with stabbing, syncopated guitar. The absolute highlight here has got to be the solo, though. It’s a spaghetti-western-styled masterpiece as unhinged as the lyrics surrounding it. As guitarist Chris Ostler crashes off the rails in deranged closing bends, the narrator’s insanity rattles straight through your bones. It is your front-row seat to the car crash, and anyone with a shred of taste should love it.
When not utterly deranged, the album is an onslaught of simply massive indie bangers. By the time the album came out, “Hello Today” had been a setlist staple for two years, and for damn good reason. It’s practically made of indie swagger. You have to be doing something undeniably trendy to get away with opening with an “un, deux, trois, quatre,” but damn if they didn’t manage it. The tone is thoroughly upbeat and boppy, and the lyrics absolutely embrace this – “Hello Today, I’ve got heaven in my veins” opens the chorus, and when singing along it’s a more than honest statement. The bassline practically bounces, the percussion feels like (now ex) drummer Tom Dewhurst just fell out of a samba class.
This shouldn’t make the entire album out as a total party, however. When it’s delicate, it is no less majestic. “Blue Romance” comes across as near-desperate obsession with a person and/or concept of classically romanticized…well, romance. When the fleeting guitar solo drops in, it’s more of an emotional pang – its slow bends twist like the roiling hole in your heart as you realise real life can’t possibly compare to Love, Americana film style.
Then three tracks later, you stumble across “Baby.” Somehow, I wasn’t a fan when the album first came out. Longing for a lost love is the name of the game here, folks, and it sure is a hard one to play. “There goes my baby, you seem so different lately” is such a simple refrain, but complexity just wouldn’t get across the same purity of feeling.
When not lurching emotionally, Black Honey still delivers simply fantastic tunes. Though separated into two tracks, I refer to “What Happened To You” and “Crowded City” as a duo. Neither has the emotional or narrative pulls of much of the rest of the album; instead, they’re just solid, vibey tracks with similar lyrical themes.
Except, now that I re-listen so I can write this vaguely professionally, that’s complete nonsense. Black Honey simply doesn’t make songs without feeling. Both tracks are filled with wonder, yet still the sensation of being out of your depth. Sure, one is much heavier. The vocal treatments are disparate to say the least. The subject swaps between narrator and a third party, but the mood remains. These are songs you struggle to disconnect from. I adore Black Honey’s style, but this ability to grab you and shove the mood of the songs into your psyche so viscerally is a seemingly unique ability. As I’ve mentioned earlier, it’s in line with some of the best film making, both in the ability to connect with an audience and to form a distinct style.
With a new string of singles due soon, I could not be more excited to see where Black Honey go following the storm of current events. I know it’s going to be heavier, and teasers sound utterly incredible. The only other thing I can say is that you should absolutely be there to witness it.
Overall Rating: 9/10
