We first wrote about Swedish duo 'Pale Honey' way back in 2015 when they released their self-titled debut album (and I've really enjoyed listening to that again), so it's great to follow their progress through into a new decade with a brand new release ahead of a third album, which is due in September. It has been a while since their last release, and that seems to reflect the challenges of the creative process behind their new songs, but it's been worth the wait, because whilst their music has undoubtedly evolved, they retain the raw DIY spirit that attracted us to them in the 1st place.
So just to remind you, Pale Honey comprise Tuva Lodmark and Nelly Daltrey, with Tuva's expressive and distinct vocals a centrepiece of their songwriting. They returned at the end of 2019 with the energised rush of 'Set Me Free', and their latest release is 'Treat You Good', a song about ''being dangerously, painfully and manically in love - when it’s impossible to think of anything else but that one person''. And given the intensity they manage to generate in their music, that's an appropriate song subject.
'Treat You Good' is a wonderful fusion of 80's pop, 90's garage and Indie guitar bands from across the decades, with euphoric highs courtesy of the retro synth sound and soaring vocals, followed by dirty DIY sounding vocal, guitar and drum sections. But there is an energy that gives the song a definite continuity, and the whole song hangs together really well.
This is 'Treat You Good'.
'Pale Honey' head off for some live dates in Denmark and Sweden in March. For more details check their Facebook page, or visit them on their website, Twitter or Instagram page.