War Honey: Last Woman Left At The Market
I'd like to introduce you to War Honey- an incredibly talented group of musicians located in our beloved Brooklyn. They're unlike any band I've heard before, and I am ecstatic to be reviewing their upcoming EP, Last Woman Left At The Market.
War Honey's anchor members, Gabrielle Dana and Ben Fitts, met as teenagers at band camp and began writing songs together in mid-2019, shortly after becoming roommates in Brooklyn. As the music community was hit hard by the pandemic in early 2020, Dana and Fitts bided their time by recording their first EP, Shard to Shatter, with the help of drummer Victoria Smith. The result was a "somber EP that captured the feelings of alienation and loneliness they were experiencing during the lockdown." Of course, we were all acquainted with our inner demons at that point. Nevertheless, War Honey managed to produce a well-timed record for those who knew the quiet pangs of loneliness all too well.
Since the world has opened up again, War Honey has returned to the live music scene with bassist David Bloom and drummer Ian Ackerman, both joining Dana and Fitts on Last Woman.
While Shard to Shatter reflected our lowest points at the onset of the pandemic, their new EP emulates the slow bloom of Brooklyn flora. Still true to their roots, Last Woman is a celebration of the music community coming out of lockdown stronger, better, and eager to return to the stage. It is "simultaneously a companion piece, a sequel, and an inverse of [Shard to Shatter]."
Dana's vocals are astounding; she sings with the operatic vibrato of Grace Slick and the power of Florence Welch. Truthfully Dana is one of the most impressive vocalists I've heard in a long time. This is not to dismiss Fitts and the band. On the contrary, they are essential pieces in constructing Last Woman's dreamlike puzzle.
The instrumentalists shine on "Forage for Porridge" and “Stupid Stature,” and Dana croons on "Racehorse," slowly gaining traction and capturing the listener in a hazy trance. “Halfwit Banquet” is a darker, desert-like soundscape well suited for a sunset listen. Together, War Honey creates a world of their own, hard to categorize and can only be described as an experience.
Last Woman Left At The Market will be released on May 11, 2022, and I highly recommend a deep listen. Pop the record on, lie down on the floor, close your eyes and take in the ethereal talent exemplified by War Honey.