Honey Suns - Honey Suns

Honey Suns

Honey Suns 
self-released; 2015

3.7 out of 5

By Andrew Westberry

Honey Suns is Jordan Ballou, a twenty-one year old singer-songwriter from Salt Lake City, Utah. The Honey Suns EP was recorded in Jordan’s home studio, and the album’s bright feel is evident even before listening from the warmth exhibited on the cover of the record.

The albums launches into its dazzling, sunny style with “Make It Right,” a song bordering between folk and retro pop. Ballou heavily employs vocal harmonies and energetic guitars, piano and drums provide the backdrop for the shimmering lyrics to rise to the top of the soundscape. The energy of the first song transitions into the reflective pondering of “Downpour,” a song slower in tempo but equally melodic. This track builds gradually through shifting chords until the end of the song and the listener is never left behind.

The vocal solo, solely accompanied by percussion, within “Stop By” gives contrast to the song’s sections and highlights the fullness that the instrumentation and vocal harmonies bring to Ballou’s voice. He is more than capable of carrying the song’s energy with simply his voice, as can be seen in the beginning of “Everything You Know” but the true magic happens when his voice is combined with all of the other components of the songs. The musical growth and intriguing lyrics in “Everything You Know” makes this a standout track on the album.

The EP comes to an end with “Take,” a song filled with chorus-like harmonies and “Alright,” perhaps the most solidly celebratory tune on the entire record. The last two tracks of the EP don’t veer too far from the style displayed in the first four tracks of the record but they contain enough variety that they feel like new songs.

​The catchy riffs in the final song “Alright” combined with the exultant vocals will have listeners singing along without even trying. All around, this record contains much of what makes a record good, and everything that makes a record truly great from start to finish.

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