Can a two-piece survive without half of its lineup? That was the question raised when Honeyblood drummer Shona McVicar left the Glaswegian duo shortly after releasing their self-titled debut in 2014. Two years on though, with new drummer Cat Myers joining singer/guitarist Stina Tweeddale, Honeyblood v2.0 are not just surviving but thriving. Second album Babes Never Die sees the band refine the distorted fuzz-rock sound of their early DIY years. Nineties alt-rock revivalism is an avenue that’s been explored by a weight of bands in recent years. Yet, while so much of the current crop come off as pale photocopies, Honeyblood recognise that what their predecessors – Lush, Blake’s Babies, Throwing Muses – had was tons of personality.
In Tweeddale, they have a performer who lives up to those forebears, her delivery by turns menacing, defiant and triumphant. This time around she’s backed up by songwriting that places an emphasis on hookiness. Lead Single Ready for the Magic is 90s tweepoppers Bis but with actual choruses, while Justine, Misery Queen compellingly treads the sickly/sour divide in its tale of a curdled friendship. There’s more than enough here to keep them ahead of the pack.
