Seattle’s honeywords have crafted a five-track EP that quite beautifully encapsulates the apparent energy of the term honeywords – soothing and sweet reflections, amidst a collection of lo-fi, shoe-gaze-soaked soundscapes, and melodies that are whispered with breathy intensity as each piece progresses.
leaf introduces things and is all of this, a strangely acoustic performance, but so soaked in reverb and distance that the intimacy of the performance falls away into a dreamlike state. The lyrics struggle to connect, but they intrigue none the less, and they appeal for their clear poetic honesty and reflective nature. There’s also an interesting structure to the track, pauses for experimental vocal fragments, a return to the free-flowing and slightly dissonant chord progression.
Following the opener, backseat sees a clearer vocal, deeper and closer, present an emo-rock aura that tips its hat to the likes of a Dashboard Confessional verse. That acoustic strum continues in the distance, but now you also get flickers of electronic guitar, and the clarity of the lyrics is beautifully seductive. A gorgeous song, wonderfully presented, subtly powerful and very easy to lose yourself within.
nashville afterwards further cements this honeywords way with writing and expression. Single guitar strums and a simple smack of a beat guide the way, distant vocals again bookend the first half of the project in a seemingly artistic and eclectic way. Variety is rare with this kind of genre, and though it’s not overly noticeable, it works well to introduce this band and this journey that is seven inch in a relevant and thoughtful way.
It’s a pleasure to hear music like this make a come back, it feels perfectly well suited to some reflective moment of cinema or TV drama, and yet it works equally well as the comforting embrace music fans often need on the long drive home. Absolutely worth a listen.
EP out July 20th.
