New bands, generally, come in two types. Firstly, there are the young whippersnappers, champing at the bit for attention, chasing their first taste of notice and notoriety, generally happy to utilize any marketing trick their label or agent suggests to get a foot on the ladder. Then there are bands who perhaps have not been together long, but are crewed by seasoned musicians and stalwarts of the scene. The former think it is all about them. The latter knows it is all about the songs. The Long Honeymoon falls into the second category, and boy! do they have the songs!
I could throw around names such as The Humbugs, Lee Rude, Atomic Flea, The Bazillions, Charlie Bucket, and The Radio Spares, and indeed I just have, but it is better just to let the music speak for itself.
Overall, they make music at that creative collision point where pop infectiousness and rock and roll chops meet and merge; they then throw in a touch of roots here and there, an occasional vibe of soulful sophistication, and create a classic sound, one that defies genre and geography, scene or era, just great songs being delivered to perfection.
“My First Mistake” is instantly infectious, a smart blend of folky finesse and intelligent pop, harmony-soaked and underpinned by liquid keyboards, and then we are off on a journey that feels less like their debut and more like their greatest hits album.
“We’re an Idea” employs some more rock-and-roll moves, though it runs on addictive pop grooves. “Girl With a Broken Heart” is lush and lovely, feeling like a tide of sonic waves rather than mere notes and chords put in the right order, and “To the Stars” is the most infectious thing you would have heard in a long time. Pop perhaps, but if so, pop with a Phd.
A debut album perhaps, but clearly one half a lifetime in the making!
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