"It’s an indie pop dream, and a strong full-length debut, solidifying HUNNY as giants of their genre."
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Awesome
Review by Emily Marshman
Recommended tracks: “Lula, I’m Not Mad,” “Saturday Night,” “Ritalin”
Despite being a relatively young band and their catalogue consisting simply of EPs, indie pop band HUNNY have garnered a considerable fanbase whose excitement for the release of their first full-length has been palpable over the past few weeks. The California natives are idiosyncratic, their witty, snarky lyrics laid over tracks reminiscent of 80s pop giving them a sound that’s distinctly and undeniably their own.
The opening track, “Lula, I’m Not Mad,” definitively sets the tone for the album HUNNY has laid out for us: this is a love story, but it’s far more unrequited than this side of the story wishes it would be. The disappointing reality of this love story in particular is that it’s over, and this album lays out for its listeners the way in which it’s coming to terms with this fact. In “Change Ur Mind,” it’s asking the recipient of its love to do just that, pleading with them to explain, saying, “If I’m a letter then you’re a postcard / From some exotic place somewhere very far.”
The fourth song on the record is quite possibly my favorite of them all, the honesty of “Saturday Night” is raw and visceral, providing listeners who don’t feel everything as deeply as physically and emotionally possible a glance into that lifestyle. The track is infectious, the beat finding its way into your soul, its lyrics easy and fun to remember and sing as loud as you can.
“Smarter Ways of Saying It” puts it out into the universe: it’s over and I’m going to have to be fine with it. Its successor, “Everything Means Everything Meant Everything,” expresses a bit more anger than the rest of the album. The other tracks felt more disappointed and defeated than anything, but this song obviously understands how unfairly it was treated – “I hope my funeral is short and sweet / Without the frill or pageantry / Collect my things off the floor / All you gave me was indifference.”
“Ritalin” and “Halloween” finish out the album and bring it full circle. They’re two bitter, visually stimulating tracks, pointed shots aimed at the heartbreaker and resentful shots aimed at itself, in “Halloween” in particular: “I hear the rain on my skylight / From my bed where I spend most of my time / And I just remembered it was Halloween / So I guess I’m going as a / Guy who knows just what you’ll say / You don’t think that I’m gonna change.”
Overall, yes. yes. yes. yes. yes. is a huge triumph. It’s an indie pop dream, and a strong full-length debut, solidifying HUNNY as giants of their genre. HUNNY are not currently on tour and don’t seem to have any upcoming shows planned, but you can follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to keep up with the latest from them. They can also be found on their website.
