In the same way post-Kid A Radiohead convinced a generation of indie bands to abandon guitars for synths, James Blake has persuaded a legion of sensitive would-be acoustic balladeers to make jazz-inflected electronica. Duo Honne – propelled by the woozy reverberations of Retrograde – spin their debut around a fictional Smooth FM. “It’s 3:17am. You’re tuned in with your main man Tommy Inglethorpe. This next song’s gonna keep you warm on a cold, cold night …,” a dodgy American accent intones, setting the scene for the rest of this meticulously crafted and yet emotionally limp album. While they capture an era of digital romance, lyrics often pan out like a persistent Tinder date (“If you spend the night with me, I will make it worth your while,” frontman Andy Clutterbuck sings on The Night). A studied sort of soul that belongs more in a Spotify aggregated playlist than on a sleazy late-night radio show.
