When the debut single from Pale Honey ‘Youth’ arrived a few months ago, it was clear that the Swedish duo of Tuva Lodmark (vocals and guitar) and Nelly Daltry (drums) might well be something special. Acclaimed by much of the media, which in a just world this would have translated into chart hits and front covers (this is not a just world). Their debut EP Fiction came out last year and had already shown much promise. So now arrives their debut album and eyes and ears are upon them to see if it can deliver upon the promise.
It does. In Spades. The aforementioned ‘Youth’ and ‘Fiction’ and ‘Fish’ from the EP are here along with seven new tracks. Much has been made in term of positive comparisons to who Pale Honey sound like, and there’s no need to do that again here. What you do get is a duo who can deliver sparseness and switch quickly to the sound of noise that bands with many more members would envy being able to deliver.
From the opening attitude of ‘Over Your Head’ to the brooding magnificence of album closer ‘Sleep’ which brings the pace down with serious style, this is a debut that is genuinely fresh and exciting. Don’t let this just be a critically acclaimed album, spread the word!
[Rating:4]
Pale Honey is released by Bolero on May 4.
