release date: Jul. 14, 2014
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,13]
Track highlights: 1. "Fall Forever" (4 / 5) (live as a duo) - 2. "Super Rat" (BBC studio) - 5. "Killer Bangs" (4 / 5) - 10. "Fortune Cookie" - 12. "Braid Burn Valley"
Studio debut album by the Scottish duo Honeyblood released on FatCat Records and produced by Peter Katis and Honeyblood. The duo consist of Shona McVicar on drums, percussion, and additional vocals and Stina (Marie Claire) Tweeddale on vocals, piano, and guitar, and they play their own indie pop with a lot of shoegaze, some dream pop with references to American 90s bands like The Breeders, Throwing Muses and bits of PJ Harvey and The Smiths, just to establish their style. Sometimes they play with a certain punk rock or grunge rock inspiration and at other times it's just more indie pop, jangle pop-styled with some garage rock. On their FaceB00k profile they call it 'crunch pop'. Well... perhaps that's what it is. Anyway, to realise a full album with enough diversity they had producer Peter Katis play "electronic percussion", Kit Karlson keyboard, and Eric Sanderson bass. I only just bought the digital album, but it continues where the fine single "Killer Bangs" left us, so I think it's good but not really great. For one thing, it's too simple, but what really makes it a difficult first release is the duo's use of too much recycling from other artists. They play well, and with a lot of energy but with little originality. I will be looking out for the follow-up album, however.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5, NME 4,5 / 5 stars ]
