Pale Honey

Pale Honey
2010's - current
alternative / indie
first song that reeled me in: "Over Your Head" Pale Honey, 2015

Pale Honey / Self-titled (2015)
Once I finally was able to tear myself from track one ("Over Your Head"), the album brought me to a very original Indie place with "Fish". If the album keeps this up, I will have no choice but to play the entire ensemble over and over until I know every beat and lyric. Early track thoughts: With an attitude just left of Nirvana and sound edgier than Fiona Apple's coolest vocal tracks, I am thoroughly enjoying myself. (Perhaps if Nirvana had had a female vocalist, I would have liked them more.) The "bored-girl" / unimpressed female vocalist will never get old for me. In fact, it is often times my kryptonite. This band is no exception to that rule - I've been delightfully sucked in and am convinced I am the absolute coolest version of myself, as long as the band plays. And the harder instrumentals just add spikes and studs to the whole body of work. 

And as if it wasn't all sweet escape perfection, here comes "Lonesome" to make you feel like a mischievous little rascal. Perhaps ready to commit some misdemeanors. I'm telling you right now: if you have to go from having a bad day to feeling entirely badass, this might just be the album for you. 

Devotion (2017)
Leaving the final, sleepier track of the self-titled album, we make an easy transition to the cool, tranquil skateboard ride of "Replace Me". Just four small wheels rotating peacefully over endless pavement on a sunny day in Cali. Why do I choose Cali? Possibly because of the Surfer Rock reminiscent bass-line that makes a cameo throughout the album. (Misirlou who?) Even the slow tracks have enough cool intrigue to them to make me want to actually listen to them on the first play-through. (No easy task, I assure you.) "Lesson Learned" has almost a psychedelic rock quality that has left me in a bit of a trance. All in all, Devotion feels like a less obviously edgy, somewhat grown and subdued version of Pale Honey. One that I find less exciting than their previous work, but still very welcomed and very good.  

Some Time, alone (2020)
The namesake of this album starts us off on a very modern, catchy foot. A tapping foot. Unable to pull itself from the beat. The next few tracks venture pretty quickly into slower, far away territory. Akin to the feeling one is left with after taking the appropriate dose of cold medication. "Heaven Knows How Far I've Gone" leads us into the fascinating, hyper-realistic fever dream from that night's sleep. With "Killer Scene" bringing us to the pensive morning after; analyzing what we've just fantastically witnessed. And before the last two slumbering tracks of the album kick in, "Set Me Free" brings us that simple, catchy drum / snare combo that one might find on a Donna Summer album. While the electronic sound and unbothered vocals keep us tied to the artist, happily. 

Regardless of how it started: Some Time, Alone leaves us feeling a little dreamier than the other albums. And it feels a little further from Indie and a little closer to Pop, though not there, entirely. While still appealing to me, I could see how this album could be one of those that you find yourself a little disappointed over on the ride home from the record store. If, for example, you had only heard the first track and had been expecting more of it. Hopefully you caved and also purchased that greatest hits album from that band you love from the eighties.