Vastly reminiscent of times past in multiple genres, such as post-rock and hardcore, while also looking ahead in sound and style, Honeyspider’s latest single Marbles is a treat to listen to.

The songs lack of clear genre is what gives it its own distinct sound. The band does a fantastic job shifting between all these different moods and tones without ever sounding jarring nor predictable. Each part ties in to each other hand in hand beautifully, especially surrounding the middle section – when the song takes a complete break. Marbles could’ve ended the tune right then and there, but after a careful moment of silence, the new slow, crystal clean soundscape enters into the scene. The track continuously builds up only to be taken to a whole new direction again – a full on metal breakdown, with fry screams and all. This is unexpected, but like the rest of the song, it complements the composition beautifully.

The singer has a voice that suits this style excellently. The distinct pop-punk lamenting coupled with a very powerful delivery is eerily nostalgic, another compliment to the overall sound Honeyspider brought on with this newest single. Not only are the vocals layered with traditional harmonies, propelling the energy and the overall feeling sky high, but they are also paired with metal screams that are sprinkled throughout the composition and only ever made center in the aforementioned middle section. This isn’t a new technique by any means – a lot of post-hardcore bands have been using the technique, but it’s been used so much for good reasons: it works. It perfectly conveys both the aggressive nature of the electricity of all instruments, and soothes out the edges with the harmony of both the melodic instruments and the singer’s smooth voice.

Marbles is quite a unique experience through and through. Clocking in at five minutes, it’s going to ask a lot of the listeners to get through the entire composition. Yes, the metal elements might throw a lot of people off, but Honeyspider are very aware of that. The composition alone proves that they are not scared to think far outside of the box, and in doing so it gives this song its distinct identity, one that makes it stand out from the other post-hardcore tracks coming out in 2020. Despite that roughness brought on by the metal elements and the length of the track, this is well worth a listen, and will surely propel a whole new lot of fans in Honeyspider’s direction.

 shoegaze      post-rock       grunge 

Author: Nicholas Gaudet

Music producer and writer from Dieppe, Canada.