Honesty – ‘U R Here’ album review: a charming culmination of creative freedom
THE SKINNY: In today’s world, most new music releases are created with some sonic consistency in mind. Often, this is because the artist knows how to emit the core of their vision with the utmost precision. Honesty, with their unwavering grip on creative chaos and control, deviates from this trope with U R Here, with songs that emerge in all their varied beauty, offering a journey rather than just a moment.
Honesty might not be a band in the typical sense, but its embrace of collaborative creativity allows them to reach new levels of experimental freedom, blending the disillusionment of modern times with the hope of new beginnings. This is evident in the album’s disregard for conventional tropes, combined with airy, lightweight production, which gives it an overall sense of liberation.
While a broader lack of direction would intimidate some, Honesty honed an unparalleled sense of power with its sonic diversity, proving that new music in today’s world doesn’t always have to hinge on something consistent or grounding to be impactful. Created in band member Matt Peel’s studio in Leeds, the core members became friends through their shared love of music, knowing that nothing is set in stone.
“That’s what scares me a little bit,” Peel admits. “Each of the tunes has been birthed in a really different way, which is dead exciting, but sometimes it’s like, what if we wanted to do that again?” The uncertainty soon gave way to greatness, however, with U R Here providing the perfect presentation of what it means to be eclectic with meaning.
For fans of: Answering “a bit of everything” when asked your favourite genre.
A concluding comment from a self-proclaimed indiehead: “Not really sure what’s coming or going here, to be honest. Got any Kooks vinyl?”
U R Here track by track:
Release: February 7th | Producer: HONESTY | Label: Partisan Records
‘NO RIGHT 2 LOVE (feat Liam Bailey)’: The opening track arrives complete in its own boundlessness, blending raw emotion with visceral atmospheres as Bailey vocals guide the way, oscillating effortlessly between pulsating rhythms and haunting lyrics. [3.5/5]
‘WWWWW?’: The beauty of U R HERE is that you never know what’s coming next. From the soulful beats of ‘NO RIGHT 2 LOVE’, the record’s second track offers a more considered melancholy reminiscent of electronic darkwave. [3/5]
‘U&I’: With another unique stroke of limitless creativity, ‘U&I’ evokes deep groves with the utmost emotionality, making the production feel both intimate and gorgeously spacious. [3/5]
‘MEASURE ME’: Picking up the pace with more purposeful fervour is ‘MEASURE ME’, taking the earlier darkened soundscapes and pushing them into a space filled with urgency. It’s hypnotic but anchored to varied indie tropes, giving it an overarching sense of control. [3/5]
‘UR Here’: Utilising HONESTY’s penchant for experimentalism and unpredictability, ‘UR Here’ feels both charmingly heartfelt and sonically distanced, with a vocal delivery that feels akin to modern-day disillusionment. [3/5]
‘Tormentor’: Creative expression is an increasingly interesting concept in today’s imperfect world, with songs like ‘Tormentor’ enabling wallow where it’s due, while simultaneously channelling that darkness into something cathartic. [3.5/5]
‘NORTH’: When most albums are created with sonic consistency, songs like ‘NORTH’ push the power of diversity when most of us look to playlists for instant gratification. Instead, these songs emerge in all their varied beauty, offering a journey rather than just a moment. [3/5]
‘Empty’: A song hinging on the effortless float towards the abyss, ‘Empty’ utilises airy production to achieve otherworldliness. [3/5]
‘NIGHTWORLD’: Beginning with what sounds like a culmination of everything overwhelming about everyday life, ‘NIGHTWORLD’ is a swirling journey into the chaos of the unknown, where the disorientation of life becomes an endearing culmination of creativity. [3/5]
‘Pity’: Closing the record with a gradual drive to uncertainty, ‘Pity’ builds with rhythmic consistency, intertwining emotion and sound the way only HONEST know how. [3.5/5]
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