They say still waters run deep, and Headed for a Dive exists somewhere on the border of these underwater depths and the urban noise of the subway. When you start listening to Honeysucker’s debut EP, Headed for a Dive, you find yourself caught in peculiar dreams: in them, the city simultaneously pulses with the toxic glow of fluorescent lights and gently whispers the rhythms of old cassette tape players.

Sam, Jack, Zach, and Gavi have concocted a magical brew of pop, soul, punk, new wave, and indie—blended so thoroughly that it’s hard to tell where the dream ends and the concrete reality begins.

photo by Robindeep Singh

Each track carries a hint of sarcasm, as if someone secretly sprinkled in some spice to add flair to a standard musical formula. A story where amphetamine-fueled sleepless nights give way to hungover dawns sounds almost comical but leaves an unexpected bitterness in its wake. They say this urban fever is a perfect catalyst for drama, especially when you’re haunted by the specter of teenage angst that refuses to let go, even after twenty-five. Honeysucker has captured that raw nerve and wrapped it in their signature sound—slightly naive yet undeniably captivating.

Listening to Headed for a Dive, you can feel both a pull toward adventure and the fear of being exposed. The city takes on the dual role of villain and best friend. Crowds of rushing people, hidden behind paper coffee cups, blend with the smell of stale beer and midnight dreams on the platform. Out of these details emerges a peculiar, almost surreal landscape.

New Dust opens the EP with a delicate mix of gentle electronics and alternative pop, where Jack Brickner’s light vocals hover over the melody, creating a laid-back atmosphere. Yet, as the track gathers momentum, it seamlessly shifts into darker pop territory with a richly layered arrangement. Here, Honeysucker demonstrates their ability to navigate between melodic sophistication and heavier, art-house-inspired elements, crafting a striking sonic contrast.

Loneliness deepens the EP’s melancholy, taking on a chamber-like romanticism. The track feels like the curtain is slowly descending on a stage, with the spotlight fixed on the vocalist. Intimate acoustics, tender piano, and soulful nuances in the vocals turn Loneliness into a poignant, almost cinematic experience—perfect for late nights or quiet introspection.

The interlude Frida Kahlo flies by like a fleeting moment stolen from the city’s nighttime. The sound of rain, distant hip-hop beats, and ambient arrangements evoke the atmosphere of wandering streets that end in a cozy bar. It’s easy to imagine Honeysucker performing there. The following track, Buzzcut Girls, builds on this feeling, adding aggressive textures and a more cinematic edge.

BQE brings this sonic journey to a close, but on a softer and lighter note. Acoustic guitars and Jack Brickner’s refined vocals bring the listener back to basics while maintaining the EP’s overarching mood. The final track, with its vibrant arrangement, stylish rhythm, and captivating alternative rock sound, ties everything together. It’s a closing statement that preserves the release’s cohesive concept right to the end.

Critics might endlessly debate how to categorize this EP: new wave? Indie punk? A pop-soul hybrid? The truth is, no one can fully decipher where one wave ends and another begins. In these fragile transitions—when guitars swell like storm clouds and the rhythm section echoes a neon frenzy—a raw, gleaming nerve emerges. And at that moment, it becomes clear: Headed for a Dive was made for diving into nights filled with vivid hallucinations, with incredible moonlight and the soft echo of your own footsteps lingering in the background.

Ultimately, Honeysucker offers a peculiar journey through a city that lives forever, changing only in its signs and the burnt-out bulbs in alleyways. Their music alternates between confessing love to urban monotony and mocking it, all while weaving an elusive thread of magic. Perhaps this is the voice of those who once woke up in the heart of a metropolis and realized all the world’s contradictions can fit into a single song—or, in this case, an entire EP. It’s a place where sarcasm shares the stage with heartfelt confessions, and the echoes of punk resonate like the sharp memories of youth. It’s comforting to know that through this music, you can briefly escape the sticky grip of the everyday and let yourself be led beyond familiar paths.

Headed for a Dive invites you to dive deeper into your subconscious while recalling the vibrant fragments of nocturnal wanderings. And who knows, maybe the key to understanding the eternal urban fever lies hidden in those moments.

*This review was made possible by SubmitHub