Showboat Honey, the new album from Kyle Craft & Showboat Honey, is released via Sub Pop. It's a laid back affair, with one foot firmly planted in the past. With its trippy '60s vibe, especially on tracks like 'Broken Mirror Pose', this is an album that gives a nod and wink to what has come before.

The album's title was inspired by lyrics in one of its tracks. 'Buzzkill Caterwaul' features the line: "Once you were the showboat honey / But your ship sailed out". Craft wanted to make something that sounded like a raucous collision of Leon Russell and Patti Smith, but in the end ‘Buzzkill Caterwaul’ was the only song on the album that stuck with that vision.

Talking about the release, Craft states: "This is basically an album centred around bad luck and good fortune hitting at the same time. Then, out of nowhere, I find love. Everything went to shit except that. I guess that’s how life works."

'Sunday Driver,' is probably the one track on the album that explores this duality; about sticking to your guns, despite a universe of knock backs.

It's odd, because even after the firsts play through some of the tracks embed themselves in your subconscious. Nowhere is this more true than 'Blackhole/Joyride' which you'll swear you've known for years.

An engaging collection of tracks make it a certainty that you'll be digging it out for sometime to come.

8

Nick Smithson