Harold Honey - Simple, Brilliant Sometimes making great music can be a pretty simple process. That's how post-grunge punkster Harold Honey sees it anyway. And with a first album, the eponymous 'Harold Honey' in the can and ready to hit the shelves, it seems that this one-man musical force is likely to find a fair few fans agreeing with him. Working with a classic, stripped-down sound driven by a rhythm section comprising bassist Allen Mehlhaff and drummer Alejandra Arellano, Harold's music is pointedly uncomplicated. The recording process follows the 'go into the studio, play the tunes and hit record' ethos that has served so many great bands so well over the years. The result is a debut album whose rawness recalls some of the great recordings of bands such as The Pixies, The Stooges and The White Stripes. Yet Harold's own influences go way beyond one particular sound, as can be heard throughout this varied, layered, intelligent record. There are elements of Radiohead, Neil Young and even the vocal stylings of Tom Waits in Harold Honey's music. But the whole is much more than the sum of it's parts on this album. Maybe the difference is that this is an artist who has grown up making music, but has waited until he has matured as a performer before presenting his talent to the world. He has honed his skills playing live shows across America. You can hear in his infectious, insistent riffs and funny, knowing lyrics that Harold Honey is an artist who has been around the block. And come back much better for it. Ultimately, he knows this album is his first step to making the leap into being a full-time musician. But if the quality on show here is anything to go by, it won't be long before Harold Honey can leave the day job behind. Wounded Animal, Shipwreck Heartattack, Rumba Surf, Better Than You, Days Over, Could Have Been, Pass Me a Drink, Totality of Everything, Junkyard Man, Blahs, Underwear Song, Don't Let Yourself Die
