Retrovision: A Honey Revenge Album Review

Posted 01.07.2023

23 June 2023 • Pop/Rock • 12 songs • 36 minutes • 2023 Thriller Records 

★★★★★

FAV SINGLE: Distracted

TOP 3 : Sensitive • Seeing Negative (Disappointment) • Worst Apology

IMMEDIATE 5 STARS

I don't even need to listen to it to know it, Honey Revenge's debut album is easily one of my most anticipated albums of 2023. Their gorgeous pop melodies paired with funky guitar riffs, clear heavy drums & powerful basslines pave their sound as a prominent band with a bright future ahead of them. Devin & Donny have outdone themselves with this masterpiece. It’s easy to see why they’re described as a new-age Paramore - I genuinely thought that ‘Distracted’ was a riot!-era demo leak when I first listened to it. 

The band emerged in 2021 with their debut single 'Miss Me' and have grown exponentially from that point onwards. I only discovered them this year, and it's safe to say that they'll be one of my top artists at the end of the year. Shortly after that, they signed to Thriller Records and released their single ‘Ride’ to announce it. Thriller is an independent record label created by Bob Becker, in partnership with Nick Moore. They’re a team of passionate industry innovators focusing on discovering, developing, and breaking a diverse new generation of rock and alternative talent, based in California. 

I love that their songs don’t just focus on heartbreak & romantic relationships but also how friendships can go sour - which are equally important. They also focus on mental health in songs such as ‘Are You Impressed?'’ which is about trying too hard or coming off as eager/cringey but not caring anyway or 'Seeing Negative (Disappointment)' which focuses on self-doubt & never feeling good enough, both of which  I love & relate to. Additionally, they aren’t just in the pop/rock genre. They dabble into dance-type beats and synthesiser riffs to add depth to their songs.

Something I didn't realise until listening to the album in full, is the fact that Devin’s vocal range is so wide & she pulls it off amazingly, it's clear to see in songs such as ‘rerun’ & ‘worst apology’ where she stays in higher regions for most of the song with little breath breaks. I absolutely love the key change in ‘Worst Apology’, when everything is pulled back for a few bars to focus on Devin’s vocals and then everything comes back in with no build up - just all of a sudden - it’s beautifully executed. My personal favourite song off of the record is ‘Sensitive’. Written by Devin, Donny & KJ Strock, the song’s lyrical genius takes over its heavy-rock style drums & guitar. It isn’t just the instrumentation & lyrics but the production too. I also love the way this bridge/refrain in this song has been produced, especially how (similarly to ‘Worst Apology’), it’s stripped back to just the guitar & vocals & there's echoes before the drums kick in but i’s still stripped back until a line of vocals with added distortion & a cut-off of high-end EQ right before the beat drop into the final chorus where all instruments return to their normal heaviness. It really adds to the my interpretation of the song - that things can happen all of a sudden & hit hard, but there’s still build up you can’t see. To top it all off, the echoes return & end the song perfectly.

The duo worked with one of my favourite songwriters on this album - Kanner has worked with the likes of Maggie Lindeman, Scene Queen & Mckenna Grace alongside recently launching her career as a solo artist. She’s an amazing musician involved in writing 7/12 songs on this album, all of which are bangers. The band have also collaborated with producers such as Josh Strock (LiL Lotus, Thousand Below), Zach Jones (AS IT IS, Nova Twins), and Kris Crummett (Dance Gavin Dance, Issues.) 

This band just has a good vibe in general & the duo have a great relationship with their touring band. It seems like it’s just fun to be with them & doesn’t even feel like a job which, inevitably, is what everyone wants. They currently have plans to be on tour as a support act for bands such as Broadside & Arrows In Action for all of 2023 as well as recently announcing a one off show at Camden Assembly, London in December. I truly believe this band has the potential to be the next big act in the scene and can't wait to see them headline a tour here in the UK one day when they take over the world. 

They deserve all the popularity they'll undoubtedly gain in the coming years off the back of this absolute masterpiece of an album.