Label: Speedy Wunderground
Released: 29th April 2022
Honeyglaze feel like a band in one hell of a hurry, another ‘lockdown’ band who are now arriving with a polished debut album seemingly about five minutes after first appearing on the Windmill scene.
But this self-titled record is anything but rushed, and it’s easy to see why everyone is falling head over heels with the trio. Wet Leg have already snapped them up for one of the most sought-after support slots around, and you can see why – Honeyglaze carry that same dry sense of humour and identical air of living their best lives through their music.
The band do the neat trick of making everything seem very simple when it is far from it – Anouska Sokolow’s writing throughout is sublime and soulful, while each track skips along on an elastic bassline. There are no gimmicks, just very good songs done very well. Their emotions are worn openly at each moment – whether capturing moments of idly staring at the walls or wrestling with creative jealousies, each track is full of personality without being personality-led. The record is full of poetry, of strong empowering moments weaved together with ease.
“What do I do with all this time?” they ask at one point, and the answer seems to be, well, everything. What is most exciting is that ‘Honeyglaze’ feels like Honeyglaze (the band) are still only just starting to explore their abilities, and that is both impressive and exciting to see. There is a sense that the gentle indie folk-pop that resides here could still move in any direction they choose to go. What an exciting start.
