Real Deal is exactly that: it’s Honeyglaze shaking off the shackles of adolescence by blossoming into a dynamic and heartfelt group.
South London’s Honeyglaze have had an ascension that most alternative or leftfield bands would die for: cult status, critical acclaim and an inaugural LP released by the now-legendary Speedy Wunderground. 2022’s self-titled debut was a wistful and deeply melancholic slice of dreampop-cum-shoegaze, but the two years following have been emotionally tumultuous for the group and Real Deal is borne from breakups, melancholic malaise, societal woes and much more.
The scene is set with Real Deal’s opener – ‘Hide’ is a spacey and ethereal overture, punctuated by crunchy guitar stabs and Kate Bush-style melody. The percussion (bassist Tim Curtis and drummer Yuri Shibuichi) creates brilliant space for vocalist Anouska Sokolow to showcase her vocal talent. We move straight into ‘Cold Caller’, one of the singles – it takes the moody themes of the debut and builds into a mature, bold new sound. Spoken word, post-punk style vocals and explores themes of isolation, loneliness and disdain at the modern world. The cut is a slow burner, and the band’s frustration is laid bare with a brilliantly frenzied crescendo.
‘Pretty Girls’ is another single and a further brilliant slice of Real Deal. Honeglaze’s maturity and growth shine through here, with Sokolow grappling with social struggles, femininity and further moody malaise backed by one of the more musically upbeat numbers. For a three piece, the noise they make is huge, yet every guitar part or drum fill feels fantastically considered: the record is lean and minimal in parts, but it grows and snakes along with brilliant intensity.
‘I Feel It All’ is a stellar cut and shows Honeyglaze at their intimate, vulnerable best: the song is Sokolow grappling with hypersensitivity in an often cruel world. Her lyricism throughout Real Deal is top-drawer, and so often she lays herself bare with such brilliant words. The band backs her up to the end with a collection of wonderful, emotive pieces to match the emotional heft of the record.
Lead single ‘Don’t’ is another high point, where the musicianship seriously shines. Punchy drums are matched with grungy, shoegaze guitars and more raw emotion from Sokolow. The production from Claudius Mittendorfer (Parquet Courts, Interpol, Sorry) is superb throughout, but it seriously shines on ‘Don’t’, with the percussion sounding both gargantuan and crisp.
Real Deal is exactly that: it’s Honeyglaze shaking off the shackles of adolescence by blossoming into a dynamic and heartfelt group. They’re open and honest about how they feel, with lyrics and instrumentals coalescing perfectly throughout: the band branch into fuzzier territory, incorporating post-punk and classic indie whilst avoiding the various worn-out tropes of these genres. This feels like a seminal record for the group and opens them up to a broad new audience.
featured image: Kalpesh Lathigra
