Music / Reviews
Review: Honeyglaze, Rough Trade – ‘Considered and vulnerable’
Funnelling into the Rough Trade record store on a rainy Thursday evening, the number of corduroy-clad, slightly soggy individuals quickly grew to a lively bustle.
After quickly browsing through the garage sale vinyl stacks, I headed into the live room to see South London-based trio Honeyglaze.
Following the release of their sophomore album Real Deal, Honeyglaze’s series of in-stores with Rough Trade feel like an exclusive event, allowing fans and newcomers alike to celebrate this truly exceptional album and, in doing so, proving that the band really is the ‘real deal’.
Honeyglaze is a quintessential example of the South London indie post-punk genre that has been emerging and developing in the last few years. Following the likes of Black Midi, Sorry, English Teacher, and other ‘Windmill at Brixton acts’, the band’s sound is one of experimentation, emotion, and unbounded creative expression.
Drummer Yuri Shibuichi demonstrated impressive flair at the show
Performing on the live room’s tiny stage, the trio brought an incredible level of complexity to their set. With heavier, angry tracks like Don’t, paired with soft, introspective songs including Movies and Ghost, it struck me how vast the band’s range was.
In fact, this detailed emotionality was encapsulated perfectly during the band’s rendition of new track I Feel It All. Beginning with an almost surrealist soundscape before transitioning to a tasteful clamour of anger, passion and musical angst as “blue turns to burgundy and that turns to grey”, the song demonstrated the fact that this band can do it all.
Honeyglaze ran the gamut of emotions impressively throughout their show, the culmination of a record store tour and precursor to a larger UK and Europe tour later this year
To cover that scope of emotion is no mean feat, and Honeyglaze does so beautifully. It was the perfect blend of tender moments, sweeping emotion, and fits of rage, producing a set that felt vulnerable, poetic, and masterfully curated.
More than this, I found myself almost distracted at times by Honeyglaze’s technical prowess. With many three-piece groups, you see a formulaic structure of guitar, bass, and drums and, well, it can sometimes feel a little limited!
Honeyglaze has seemingly tackled this head-on, bringing in loops, electronic breath FX processors (which I had to look up!), and even playing the electric bass with a classical bow.
The result of this is an intricate and wonderfully layered sound that often made me forget that there were only three of them on stage.
The trio demonstrated an experimental approach and technical prowess, with Tim Curtis at one point bowing the bass – photo: Susie Long
I had been told by friends that Honeyglaze put on a great live show, and they certainly weren’t wrong. To feel and hear so much variety from a 40-minute set was amazing.
I will definitely be making sure to catch their headline show at The Exchange when they return to the city in November.
Images, except where stated: Tim Ellis
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