Andy Clutterback and James Hatcher, the dynamic duo known to the world as HONNE, have finally graced us with their sophomore album, ‘Love Me / Love Me Not’. After a tantalizing build-up with two singles a month, the Shoreditch-based duo have once again proven their knack for blending heartfelt lyrics with innovative sounds.
This album showcases their willingness to explore new musical territories, incorporating collaborations while maintaining their signature warm and cosy sound. The LP is an exploration of HONNE’s journey into the mainstream world of pop music and the album’s dual personality concept is not one to be ignored. Let’s jump to it.
The album opens with I Might, which starts with a lovely muted chord progression reminiscent of their debut album. The track soon evolves to become one full of synths which take the lead and a slightly delayed kick drum overrides the rhythm. Really creating that scatty jump-hop-skip vibe. Clutterback’s optimistic lyrics about a new city – ‘say hello to Tokyo’ – set the stage before a minimalist chorus with subtle dubstep wubs takes over. The organic and smooth chords reappear in the second verse, and Clutterback’s longing for a new start is clear as he sings, ‘how do I go off the grid, how do I undo the things I did?’ It’s an optimistic and refreshing beginning, setting the tone for the journey that follows.
The first collaboration on the album, Me & You, features the talents of Tom Misch, creating a seamless fusion of both artists’ strengths. The track opens with a classic narration similar to the opener on ‘Warm on a Cold Night’, and sets a tone of achievement and celebration, underscored by a sample from the Apollo moon landing mission. The muffled beat transitions into Misch’s signature guitar sound, paired perfectly with Clutterback’s fuzzy close-to-the-microphone vocals. The funk beat underlines the uneasy lyrics, ‘I’m not ready, I am not prepared’, but the chorus bursts with harmonies and a catchy hook: ‘we can see for miles up here, we can go wild up here’. The track is a testament to their collaborative magic, making it an instant classic that demands you to sway along.
Acting as the first single, Day 1 begins with a stripped-down piano intro. Glossy falsettos drift into a backbeat as the track develops, exploring the theme of universal love—’everyone wants to love, it’s easy when you try hard enough’. HONNE introduce new elements to the bold chorus with heavy piano synths and jazzy undertones, ditching the 808s prevalent in their first album. Clutterback’s gratitude for his companion is clear as he sings, ‘thankful you’re my day one’, making this track a blend of loyalty and fresh sonic experimentation. One for the fans.
I Got You is the duo’s surprising venture into a reggae-inspired world, featuring Nana Rogues. Clutterback’s admiration for his partner is evident from the opening line, ‘you might be rough around the edges, but them edges look good’, and the chilled-trap beat and lyrics about belonging—’I got you, you got me’—make this track perfect for a nighttime drive. Rogues’ soulful interjections, ‘we need to get away, we don’t need no stress’, paint a picture of a relaxed beach BBQ somewhere. The duo are really and continuously diversifying their sound. A nice touch.
Following this, Feels So Good features Anna of the North and opens with a condensed organ, a signature HONNE motif. The track’s monosyllabic opening lyrics, ‘these are the moments I cherish’, set the stage for a fast-paced, hip-hop-influenced track. Hatcher’s production choices, like jumping straight into the chorus after scattered pauses, showcase his production abilities. Anna’s sweet vocals add a new dimension to the HONNE-scape world, and the punchy chorus, ‘this, feels, so… good’ emphasises the song’s playful production. Thematically, the track touches on first impressions and the simplicity of not over-analysing, highlighted in the lyrics: ‘I don’t know your horoscope, but I know that you’ll keep me close’.
Taking us back to their humble beginnings, 306 is HONNE’s ode to their trusty Peugeot 306. The track introduces pitch shifting and vocal transformation, with the opening verse pitched up a few semitones. The playful acknowledgment of this unusual technique is clear in the line, ‘but fuck it, let’s go have some fun’. The muted piano in the verses creates a trudging atmosphere until the climax in the second verse, where the track dissolves, expands and releases a new energy as the duo express their dreams coming true, ‘this is my ticket.’
Diving into deep synths, Location Unknown is an instant classic and staple in the duo’s discography. The opening riff transitions into Georgia’s heavenly vocals, contrasting with Clutterback’s muffled baritone. The bright chorus vocals over a shifty 1-2 beat make it one of HONNE’s most up-tempo tracks, conveying urgency as he sings, ‘I don’t care how long it takes, I know you’ll be worth the wait’. Easter-egg worthy note of the ticking clock in the background production only emphasising this further. The song’s mission-driven theme is clear as he repeats, ‘I gotta get back to you’, culminating in an outro that feels like a plane taking off.
Crying Over You is a cinematic track that opens with Clutterback’s vocals gliding over low synths, promising that ‘life will be a bit shit for at least the next week’ post-breakup. The chorus, featuring BEKA’s debut, explodes with ‘I don’t know why I’ve been crying over you’. The layering and openness of the chorus make it a seamless piece of work, with BEKA’s flawless vocals adding such a depth to this one. This track is one of my favourites, a masterpiece of being optimistically sad yet simultaneously radiant in that thought too.
An instant stand-out, Shrink is one of HONNE’s most honest and heavily produced track. Clutterback’s battle with anxiety is clear from the opening line, ‘goodbye to sanity’, reinforced by a distorted and omnipresent whistle. This openness continues throughout, with Andy confronting his anxieties about the duo transitioning from an underground gem to a mainstream act. His fears of losing his mind are evident in the pre-chorus, ‘things that made me go cuckoo’, amplified by heavy reverb.
The synths distort hypnotically, leading to an anti-drop with a jivey piano and clean vocals, ‘you better book me a shrink for 2020’. The track’s complexity shines as it blends trumpets, bass guitars, French horns, synths, cowbells, whistles, and even klaxons. The giggles and overdriven guitar solo, reminiscent of some St. Vincent production, abruptly end this descent into insanity, implying that this wormhole has been reached through an elevator-inspired outro. The track’s duality is a real testament to Hatcher’s production, big bravo.
The duo’s ambition is evident throughout the album, with I Just Wanna Go Back marking a pinnacle point in their career. The track opens with scattered drum samples and a compressed organ, with Clutterback’s vocals overlaying with helpless lyrics, ‘can’t find my way without you, God knows what I’ll do’. The suspense builds as the duo withholds the chorus until after the two-minute mark, creating a mellow opening and a long build-up. When the chorus finally arrives, it’s a beautifully composed explosion of harmonic layering, widened drums, thickened bass lines, and bellowing synths. Andy’s plea, ‘I just wanna go back […] I just wanna see your face again’ makes this track both heart-wrenching and majestically powerful in its production.
Sometimes introduces auto-tune to their repertoire, reminiscent of Kanye and Bon Iver. The somber lyrics, ‘sometimes I’m stupid’, set a much darker tone here. The track crescendos as the mood shifts in the pre-chorus, ‘I can love because I can’, followed by a seeming release of tension in the production, opening the lid on the studio. The reflective and regreatful lyrics, ‘remember the days before this all started’ and ‘I should’ve told you how I feel’ really add an optimistic layer to this track, leading to a flawless outro that feels very conclusive.
But we have one more track! With Forget Me Not, the duo embody a real uneasiness. This track embodies the conflicting messages and torn emotions that have run throughout the album. Clutterback’s plea, ‘forget me not, remember all the things we got’, is delivered through slurred intonations over deep, minor and unsteady synths and detuned guitars. The metaphorical imagery of flowers and arrhythmic hi-hats enhance this sense of desperation and remorse and the track’s sudden, dark climax is somewhat of an unexpected ending.
As mentioned throughout, this sophomore release is a testament to HONNE’s growth and experimental spirit, leaving me eagerly anticipating their next project. Balancing love and heartbreak this release lives up to the hype, creating original sounds whilst staying true to their selves and a huge growth on their debut. London’s finest duo.
Glerbie 