By Charlie Maybee
Louisville, Kentucky based indie soul band, Honeymack, has released their debut single “Moonsong” which brings funky bass rhythms and breakneck drumming speed beneath ethereal guitars and synthesizers.
The electric drive of this song is undeniable, and the complexity of the rhythm section allows the more melodic elements of the song to soar and sustain. It feels similar in energy to the blast beats of punk and metal, but the level of polyrhythm harkens to the black roots of soul and R&B.
With lyrics that come across like a whisper, lead singer John Cromer takes a meta-approach as he sings “Have you ever taken it slow? / To make sure that you knew what you know?”. It points ironically to the composition of the music which swings schizophrenically between frenetic and leisurely speeds while also posing itself as a poignant question about critical self-assessment.
Overall, this is an incredibly smart song that sprawls across a myriad of genre influences. It uses a thoughtful and retrospective composure that feels sensual and alluring to draw you into an unsettlingly fast current that can’t be felt until you have your feet in the water. A nice reminder that soul music is capable of a variety of speeds and feels that give Honeymack a leg up in terms of innovative approaches to song structure and composition.
“Moonsong” is available on major streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, TIDAL, and YouTube. Find this and more great music on the Alchemical Records Multigenre Mixture playlist on Spotify.
Charlie Maybee is a dancer, musician, educator, and writer based in Charleston, South Carolina who currently teaches with the Dance Program at the College of Charleston. His primary work as an artist is with his performing collective, Polymath Performance Project, through which he makes interdisciplinary performance art that centers tap dance as the primary medium of expression and research. He also currently plays rhythm guitar for the Charleston-based punk band, Anergy, and releases music as a solo artist under the name Nox Eterna.
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Alchemical Records is a Washington, D.C. based music publication. We cover the Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Richmond, VA metro area music scenes, including band interviews, articles about your favorite musicians, new music and concert dates.
