Now, fresh off their new John Naclerio (Brand New and My Chemical Romance) produced EP, "Another Habit to Break," on "Paste," you can see Honey Daze's true diversity. Following is a twinkle of guitar riff that wouldn't be alien in some Johnny Marr B-side jangly, melodic, deceptively bright-sounding. The song soon plunges into darker, choppier waters, pulled along on a rhythm section that's snugly locked yet fiercely emotive.
New frontman Sean Dowling is a revelation. His presence even has the weight of a missing piece of a puzzle finally snapping into place. Dowling's own singing varies from creepily clean melodies to scream-inducing, throat-shredding screams reflecting the band's own dualistic approach to sound. His lyrical delivery is filled with raw emotions yet never overdone. He knows when to hold back and when to let it all out.
Rather than demand a pat structure, Honey Daze is content to embrace contrast. Guitarist McGinnis describes the song's oddly ironic outro, a detached denouement that unexpectedly works as a counterintuitively elevated left turn for the band, which could, until it doesn't, be likened to "elevator music," half-jokingly. It's the kind of U-turn you can only make when you're as comfortable in your own skin as a band making their eighth album.
Using a rich palette of influences, including Glassjaw, Deftones, Alice in Chains, and even Smashing Pumpkins, Honey Daze metabolizes. They bring the drama of emo, the heft of metal, and the haze of shoegaze and spit out something novel, frenetic, and weirdly entertaining. If "Paste" is any indication, Honey Daze is writing a post-hardcore discussion with a smirk and a sucker punch.
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Tags:
Shoegaze