1 day Ago By ClashMusic
Hailing from the depths of South London, Honeyglaze took the music industry by storm with their self-titled debut back in 2022. Fraught with pent-up emotion, vocalist Anouska Sokolow composed sincere coming-of-age tales which, when brought to life by Tim Curtis and Yuri Shibuichi, quickly established the band as one to watch. With the aid of cult label Speedy Wunderground , the trio emerged victorious from the throes of the pandemic, armed for whatever life had to throw at them.
‘Real Deal’ – the band’s latest album – pulls no punches. Produced by the award-winning Claudius Mittendorfer , the album is reactionary, approaching us with gritted teeth and all guns blazing. Being the band’s sophomore album, ‘Real Deal’ is more mature, both in sound and lyrically, leaving behind the blushing self-consciousness found on their self-titled debut with tracks like ‘Female Lead’ and ‘Creative Jealousy’.
— — The past couple of years have been an emotional whirlwind for Honeyglaze’s female lead. ‘Real Deal’ was written from the familiar comfort of Sokolow’s bedroom following a bitter breakup. Where once the band sang about the tribulations of adolescence, Honeyglaze’s second album is a melange of introspective tales and colour narratives, blurring the line between reality and fiction.
Pre-release ‘Pretty Girls’ is a heady, hook-laden track. While its lyrics are at times sarcastic, the pop-inspired song is a thought-provoking comment on society, discussing the dire and often depressing effects of alcohol. Opening with a daydream-inducing riff, there is a paradoxical beauty to the at-time pessimistic song, showcasing the band’s talent in making dark feelings sound good.
Egged on by Shibuichi’s raging drums, Sokolow looks back in anger on ‘Don’t’, raising a middle finger to all the men who have done her wrong. ‘Ghost’ follows a haunting love plagued by a yearning for reassurance and recognition. Gearing up for a cathartic chorus, Sokolow croons: “You can see me naked without taking off my clothes.
” Listening to Honeyglaze’s latest album is an education as well as an act of musical appreciation. ‘Real Deal’ teaches us to be self-aware, all the while igniting our creative imaginations as we direct fictional scenarios in our heads. As such, the band’s sophomore album beckons fans back into the talented, honest world of Honeyglaze.
I, for one, never left. 9/10 Words: Neve Dawson —.
