If Courtney Love had decided she wanted to make psychedelic music instead of punk, I imagine it would have been quite similar to the music Mad Honey produces. The band has a number of songs up on their SoundCloudloud, each one full of grungey, trippy, angsty noise. Without a doubt, the band’s strongest song is “Don’t Forget to Smile.” Maybe I’m just a sucker for some good surf guitar, but those quick, tricky riffs really got to me. The swirling notes of resentment and disquiet dance circles around the fast, almost cheeky guitar solos. Mad Honey also has an unexpectedly potent sweetness underlying much of their music. This is true especially in “10th and Burnside.” The synth notes fall into the subdued cymbals like water droplets hitting your bedroom window. Given that we have a lot of wet weather heading our way this week, I’ll make sure to keep Mad Honey in mind for my rainy days playlist.
-By Avril Carrillo