Honey Pot - Inside the Whale

by Malcolm Carter

published: 21 / 2 / 2016

Label: Mega Dodo Records
Format: CD

Fabulous new album from Devon-based psychedelic group the Honey Pot, who return with a more experimental sound while still maintaining their love of 60's music

Review

The year is barely a moth old and the Mega Dodo label with both a new single and album by Devon’s the Honey Pot gives notice that any other band/artist who is trying to take that long strange 60's psychedelic trip might just as well give up now. It’s unlikely that any other album or single that is planned for release in 2016 will capture the sound and sprit of those times as well this double shot from Icarus Peel and his merry band of pranksters…sorry, fellow musicians. ‘Lisa Dreams’ is available as a download and as the first 7” vinyl single in the new Mega Dodo Singles Club Limited Edition. Neither side of this single is included in the Honey Pot's new album ‘Inside the Whale’ album which would be reason enough to buy it even if it wasn’t the most delicious slice of 60's-inspired pop to appear on a 7” slab of vinyl since, well let’s say 1968. Icarus Peel is no stranger to whimsical English pop music, his solo albums and those he has made with the Honey Pot single him out as a modern-day Syd Barrett, albeit one who is still in full control of his destiny. That there has always been that Englishness about Peel’s music is confirmed here; ‘Lisa Dreams’, sung by Crystal Jacqueline, is pop heaven, making a good argument for his most catchy composition to date (and he’s written more than a few), and, with a soaring, heaven-sent guitar break, it’s one of those songs that is simply irresistible. Lyrics about swimming in warm ice cream abound, the harmonies are stunning and if this song doesn’t lift you high on a dreary winter's day then there’s probably little hope left for you anyway. It’s one of the most brilliant 60s inspired singles ever, simple as that. The B side shows that the Honey Pot are aware that there was more than one type of psychedelia though. ’Into the Deep’ is a group composition, (Peel, Jacqueline, Wayne Fraquet, John Wyatt and Simon Fear) and, even though the A side was fairly lengthy given it’s inspiration (over 3 minutes) the five minutes afforded to the B-side gives the band the time and space to expand their sound and take in some influences from across the pond. The moody, slightly experimental track has a rumbling bass-line, some fantastic guitar licks and brings to mind the Doors. Icarus takes the lead vocals but Jacqueline’s vocal interjections are more important to the overall sound. The song certainly takes the Honey Pot into darker territory than we are used to hearing from them but then Icarus Peel, despite wearing his influences proudly on his sleeve, is obviously not afraid to push boundaries or to combine the two very different strains of psychedelic music together. It’s a stunning single and as a taster for the album couldn’t be bettered. Which takes us to ‘Inside the Whale’. Released on 26th February the album will be available in a number of formats. A limited edition 180 gram vinyl version (the first 150 signed and numbered by the band), a CD version which includes two bonus tracks (‘Poppy Surfing’ and ‘Three Sisters’) and a limited to 150 copies 3 CD set combining the album, the 'Lisa Dreams' single with extra tracks and a ‘Live in London’ CD, plus interviews with both Peel and Jacqueline. All will be available from www.mega-dodo.co.uk from the end of February. The darker B-Side ‘Into the Deep’ is more of a taster for at least the opening cuts on ‘Inside the Whale'. While Honey Pot fans will be in no doubt that Peel and Jacqueline can successfully use the English strain of psychedelia as a springboard for what Peel is hearing in his fertile mind, for this latest collection the band have tuned into the West Coast of America for more than a little inspiration. Jefferson Airplane, not just because of the female vocals, and the Doors spring immediately to mind. There is also a feeling that maybe lesser known bands who played the area like the Neighb’rhood Childr’n have come out of retirement and are inhabiting the same studios as the Moody Blues. This change of mood might well be down in some part to the presence of Simon Fear whose distinctive bass style drives many of these new songs, while keyboardist John Wyatt lends yet another flavour by way of his harpsichord introduction to ‘Walking On Eggshells’. While Peel’s 60's pop sensibilities are never buried too far under the surface, these additions do take the Honey Pot into new directions while not totally deserting the sound that made them so addictive in the first place. Songs like ‘Almost Exactly Beautiful’ combine the quirky Honey Pot sound with a more experimental bent. Even when Peel is back to writing about English gardens as in ‘Butterfly Ride’ there’s so much more covered here than there was on previous albums. It’s no surprise that there’s a dreamy element to many of the songs, but there’s also this feeling that all is not right. An unsettling darkness is hanging over a large part of this album. While ‘Into the Deep’ would have slotted nicely onto ‘Inside the Whale’ it’s understandable why ‘Lisa Dreams’ was issued as a stand-alone single. ‘Inside the Whale’ isn’t just the Honey Pot pushing their music to the next level. They’ve successfully combined the different elements between English and American psychedelia and in doing so have created their own unique take on the genre. There are remnants enough of what fans would expect to keep them happy from a new Honey Pot album and sufficient experimentation to keep them interested. While many fans will never want Icarus Peel to leave his kitchen and serve those cups of tea till the end of time, there comes a point when a little musical diversion is needed and with ‘Inside the Whale’ it appears that Peel and his bandmates have timed it just right. While it’s a safe bet that the Honey Pot will return to their more English stylings sometime in the future, for now this is the perfect psychedelic album and one that has set the benchmark extremely high for others that planned an album in this genre this year. Maybe next time we’ll get a dozen variations on ‘Lisa Dreams’ but for the coming darker, colder months ‘Inside the Whale’ is just perfect.

Track Listing:-

1 The Outskirts of Your Mind
2 Inside the Whale
3 Starfish Smiles
4 Almost Exactly Beautiful
5 Psychedelic Circles
6 Pink and Orange
7 Walking on Eggshells
8 Butterfly Ride
9 A Curate's Egg
10 Poppy Surfing
11 Three Sisters