Do you remember the time before you had fears of student debt, mortgage repayments and the Great British Bake Off scandal rattling about in your skull? A time when you could fill it with glorious, sun-soaked melodies instead? Well, it’s time to rewind with Honeyblood.
But this Scottish indie-rock duo don’t rely on sheer nostalgia to get their sticky-sweet hooks in. On their second album, ‘Babes Never Die’, their songwriting chops are readily apparent and of a very high calibre. Shoving Honeyblood next to Hole seems obvious at first but, well, this record is catchier than anything Courtney Love ever churned out.
Justine, Misery Queen also draws comparisons to fellow Scots Camera Obscura as fizzy synths and Stina Tweeddale’s instantaneous, relatable tones combine, but the scuzzy, lo-fi guitar keeps Honeyblood firmly in a more raucous, rock-oriented pocket.
There’s that, and also the fact that ‘Babes Never Die’ overflows with songs that might’ve been written by a Nirvana x Pixies test-tube baby. We’re not talking a loud-quiet dynamic or ripping guitar solos emulating vocal lines, rather that Honeyblood exhibit that same innocent approach to songwriting while whacking a guitar with scant regard for technicality.
Ready For The Magic is packed with hand-clapping doo-doo-doo chants and a dramatic drum roll courtesy of Cat Myers that transforms an already near flawless pop-rock track into something that bit extra. It’s not reinventing the wheel, but what does that matter when the wheel is this bloody shiny?
While ‘Babes Never Die’ is essentially 10 songs of flailing, furiously catchy pop with no hidden agenda, it’s Tweeddale’s vocal performance that kicks all the competition into the bin. Walking At Midnight features an acoustic break where the vocalist sounds like she’s screaming into the toilet from Trainspotting, which is a stark juxtaposition from her slipping into a higher register on the track’s refrain. Sister Wolf’s cry of “Can you hear the wolf?” deserves to be on every radio station, all the time, forever.
The hooks on this are undeniable. But that’s not the best bit. It’s Tweeddale’s authenticity. You don’t exactly listen to Nick Cave or Tom Waits for their technical proficiency, do you? They’re icons because they tell stories. They weave a narrative web that ensnares you and refuses to release you until they decide you can go. That’s what Tweeddale does.
When she sings, “I wanna feel your heart breaking”, you bloody well believe her. It’s not the primal “Scum! Bag! Sleaze! Slime! Ball! Grease!” of their debut’s stand-out Super Rat, but it’s just as loaded. On Gangs Tweeddale tells us she “went to school with the catchment kids from nicer areas than this”. She verbalises Morrissey. She Morrisseys. Even when Love Is A Disease has her crooning, “I don’t need a cure, I just wanna be yours”, you can’t help but be swept up.
If you like rock music, ‘Babes Never Die’ provides enough dirt for you to dig through. If you’re a pop listener, there’s radio-ready lines all over this. Yes, Honeyblood were somewhat feverishly picked up by the hype train a few years ago, so you have every right to be cautious. Don’t be. This is great.
Honeyblood Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Wed November 16 2016 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Cluny
Thu November 17 2016 - LEEDS Wardrobe
Fri November 18 2016 - LIVERPOOL O2 Academy Liverpool
Sat November 19 2016 - BIRMINGHAM Rainbow
Mon November 21 2016 - STOKE Sugarmill
Tue November 22 2016 - NOTTINGHAM Bodega Social Club
Wed November 23 2016 - BRISTOL Fleece
Fri November 25 2016 - SOUTHAMPTON Joiners
Sat November 26 2016 - OXFORD Bullingdon, The
Mon November 28 2016 - CAMBRIDGE Junction 2
Tue November 29 2016 - NORWICH Arts Centre
Thu December 01 2016 - LONDON Scala
Fri December 02 2016 - MANCHESTER Deaf Institute
Thu December 08 2016 - GLASGOW St Lukes
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