Album review: Honey Revenge – Retrovision

There’s a time and a place for deep, dense albums. But in an era of instant gratification and shriveling attention spans, immediacy has an advantage. Fortunately for Californian newcomers Honey Revenge, they’ve got that on their side. Formed in the depths of the pandemic, the duo’s specialty is sparky pop-rock with a knack for damn-near virulent hooks, nestled in the sweet spot between 2010s-inspired scene anthems and nostalgic Disney Channel rock. Pleasingly, their debut album is a sugary alcopop of a record – sweet, colourful, easily consumable, and quickly gives you the hit you want.

It begins in what’s practically an explosion of confetti with the self-deprecating stomp of Airhead, an outrageously catchy opener bringing together the bright indie riffs The 1975 might usually salivate over with the grittier kind our alt bands favour. The 11 tracks that follow don’t quite have the same sort of addictive combination of E-numbers, but they still reward curious exploration (and many repeats).

There’s plenty of variety – the angsty Sensitive taps into the heavier, choppier end of pop-punk, while Are You Impressed adds a sweet shot of pop and some subtle electronics (and the melodies of both strongly suggest they’ve been schooled in State Champs, which is a nice touch).

Elsewhere, Murphy’s Law’s crunchy chorus conspires with quirky retro synths to make a genre-straddling, mid-paced banger, while Scapegoat slows things down for a moody, mellow slide into alt-pop. There’s a couple of slightly odd lyrical turns – as infectious as Favourite Song is, its slightly cloying music metaphors are a little cliched, while the ostentatiously poppy cut Habitual rhymes ‘habitual’ with ‘little bitch, you know’ in a manner that might split the jury over whether it’s corny or genius.

Nonetheless, when Retrovision sounds as slick and assured as it does – and genuinely fresh too – it’s a surefire sign Honey Revenge are capable of pleasing some big crowds. Keep your eye on them.

Verdict: 4/5

For fans of: Meet Me @ The Altar, Against The Current, Set It Off

Retrovision is out now via Thriller