HONESTY – U R HERE

Label:  Partisan Records
Released: 7th February 2025

Like stumbling into an afterparty where everyone’s speaking in code and the furniture keeps rearranging itself, HONESTY’s debut album ‘U R HERE’ is an exercise in beautiful confusion. The Leeds collective have created something that demands your full attention while simultaneously feeling like it might drift away at any moment, like if Burial decided to score a fever dream at Mount Kimbie’s house.

The album opens with the kind of minimalism that tests your resolve. ‘No Right 2 Love’ spends its first three minutes in a meditative state before finally revealing its true form, blooming into something more substantial. When it finally kicks in, it’s like finding the secret door to the party you’ve been hearing through the walls all night.

There’s a compelling messiness to the whole affair. ‘WWWWW’ creeps through your speakers like a ghost in the machine, building tension through ominous tones and glitch-heavy production. ‘Tormentor’ embodies the record’s dual nature, offering patient listeners a satisfying crescendo that feels truly earned.

The rotating cast of collaborators brings both variety and inconsistency to the proceedings. Throughout ‘U R HERE’, HONESTY seem more interested in creating moments than songs, which works both for and against them. When it connects, it’s properly special. When it doesn’t, it’s like trying to photograph mist – beautiful but insubstantial. The album’s sprawling nature demands focus while paradoxically feeling best suited for those moments when focus is hardest to maintain. It makes for an album that’s easier to admire than to love.