Track Of The Day: Forever Honey – ‘Twenty-Five’

A buoyant, reflective guitar tune that contemplates growing older; Brooklyn band Forever Honey have shared their latest single, ‘Twenty-Five’. Lifted from their debut EP, Pre-Mortem High, set for release on 24th April, the uplifting track is accompanied by a set of visuals directed by Shayan Farooq & Tristan Oliveira.

Formed of Liv Price (lead vocals, guitar), Aida Mekonnen (lead guitar, vocals), Steve Vannelli (drums), and Jack McLoughlin (bass); Forever Honey blend elements of 80s pop music and 60s rock, together with personal experiences to create their shimmering indie tunes. ‘Twenty-Five’ is a shining example of this, with its jangly guitars and cool vocals.

The track’s context is rooted in gently helping women to accept that the ageing process is not something to be feared, it should be embraced, celebrated and spoken about; as it’s an inevitable part of life. The band’s video for ‘Twenty-Five’ reflects just that. Watch it below, and follow Forever Honey on Spotify and Facebook for more updates.

Pre-order your copy of Forever Honey’s debut EP, Pre-Mortem High, here.

Photo Credit: Kit Castagne

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: THICK – ‘Mansplain’

A cathartic, witty, guitar driven take-down of the men who undermine women in bands (and women in general), Brooklyn punk trio THICK have shared their latest track, ‘Mansplain’. Lifted from their debut album 5 Years Behind, which is set for release on 6th March via Epitaph, the single’s premise will resonate with women and girls who have struggled to be taken seriously on, and off stage.

The track opens with a plethora of snarky comments – “Girl bands are really in right now”, “Does she know where to plug that in?”, “Are those your boyfriend’s drums?” – before the single rips into life with crashing drums, cutting vocals, and riotous riffs. “Those are all things that men have actually said to us or our friends at shows,” drummer Shari Page explains. “A lot of these songs came from feeling stifled in silence, but then the song itself is an answer to that,” adds bassist Kate Black. “It’s us saying, ‘I have my opinion, and I’m going to share it no matter what.’ Instead of keeping things all bottled up, it feels so much better to face everything head on, and just be really loud about it with your two best friends.”

THICK have crafted the perfect track to crank up the volume to, and rid yourself of the unnecessary negativity on ‘Mansplain’. The band took this ethos of doing what feels right into the studio with them whilst recording their new album at Studio G in Brooklyn, with producer/engineer Joel Hamilton (Iggy Pop, Jolie Holland). “It was really important to us that the songs feel emotionally connected to our reality, so that it feels as natural as possible to play them” Black shares. They’ve clearly achieved this on ‘Mansplain’, which is accompanied by a humourous video directed and produced by Jeanette D. Moses.

Watch the video for ‘Mansplain’ below and follow THICK on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Photo Credit: Michelle Lobianco

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: Wilsen – ‘Ruiner’

A collection of thoughtful songs that allow space for reflection and growth; Wilsen‘s latest record Ruiner is a deceptively quiet listen. Released via Dalliance Recordings, the album is soft in terms of volume, but lyrically it speaks loudly about overcoming and accepting inherent introversion, and self-doubt.

“Making this record was somewhat of a coming of age process,” guitarist & vocalist Tamsin Wilson explains. “We’re getting older and becoming more deliberate, less precious, less measured, trusting [our] instincts more.” Perhaps it’s this trust that led the band to partner with acclaimed producer Andrew Sarlo (Big Thief, Bon Iver) and mastering engineer Sarah Register (Protomartyr, U.S. Girls) on their new record.

“I can be a ruiner…” confesses Wilson on the album’s eponymous opening track. Written in a moment of “self-sabotage”, her vocals float beautifully over Johnny Simon Jr’s atmospheric, shimmering guitar sounds, belying the negativity that informed the song’s context. The gently tumultuous ‘Align’ follows, with more layered guitar and meandering lyrics about having the guts to go steady with someone.

The catchy refrain and Drew Arndt’s bass lines on ‘Down’ stick in the memory, while the gentle acoustics on ‘Wearing’ compliment Wilson’s lyrics about being worn down (“like a bag stuck in a tree / I’m helplessly clinging on”). ‘YNTOO’ flows in the same vein, before the guitars slowly swell for the final minute of the track.

The brief ‘Birds, Pt.1’ and the thoughtful, extended ‘Birds, Pt.2’ beautifully bookend each other, with the poignant ‘Wedding’ sitting in between. The infectious, full-sounding ‘Feeling Fancy’ celebrates the power of inherent shyness. As Wilson states in the song; “Everybody’s got a story”, and regardless of the volume it’s told at, it deserves to be shared and acknowledged.

The penultimate ‘Fuse’ looks forward with reassuring confidence, leaving you “ready to disco, baby”, whilst closing track ‘Moon’ is the most stripped back on the record. Tentative and delicate, it reiterates the idea that shyness and confidence can exist comfortably side-by-side.

A subtle, but powerful record that speaks to those who are trying to find the balance between being comfortable with themselves, and trying to refrain from being a Ruiner; Wilsen’s latest offering is a poetic, reverb-strewn, dreamy affair.

Listen to Wilsen’s new album Ruiner on Spotify.
Follow the band on Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: CF Watkins

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Pom Pom Squad – ‘Cellophane’ (FKA Twigs cover)

A stirring, grunge-inspired take on one of 2019’s most popular tracks, Brooklyn indie-punks Pom Pom Squad have shared their cover of FKA Twigs’ single ‘Cellophane’.

The band have treated Twigs’ material graciously, and frontwoman Mia Berrin’s vocals are as poignant as those on the original recording. Berrin explains more about the cover: “I know I’m not alone in saying that ‘Cellophane’ was one of my absolute favourite songs of last year. I’ve been a fan of twigs since I was in high school and heard ‘Hide’ off of EP1. She was one of the first artists that made me seen as a woman of colour occupying an alternative space, and I could immediately hear myself in the sweeping ebbs and flows of this song.”

Pom Pom Squad shared their sophomore EP, Ow, last year, with their track ‘Heavy Heavy’ making Thrillist’s ‘best songs of 2019’ list. The diversity of their “Quiet Grrrl” sound means they’re able to create their own raucous sounds, but they’re also able to cover delicate tracks like ‘Cellophane’ too. Listen to their cover of ‘Cellophane’ below, and follow the band on Instagram for more updates.

Photo Credit: Michelle Lobianco

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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