The Pelican’s Perch

Honey Claws is a four-man experimental hip hop troop that I have one heck of a time describing.  I’m looking at their one sheet and I’m seeing all kinds of phrases like “experimental hip-hop psychedelia”, “robotic trippiness”, “sexed up beats”, “Panda Bear meets Madlib”, “Playful, wild-eyed, stream of consciousness energy”, and so on and so on.  But you know what I’d say?  It’s damn good…whatever genre their music is.

Honey Claws feels uncannily like Animal Collective, if the Collective decided to do a hip hop album.  Heck, even their names are reminiscent of Animal Collective.  Dr. Zero, Ben Senior, Jon Von Letscher, and Traey Hatch comprise Honey Claws, and their music is as strange as their names.  The album starts off as Animal Collective sounding as it gets with “Shout Out”.  Bouncy synth lines surround equally bouncy guitar and basslines, and a high pitched sing/scream vocal line.  It’s the kind of opening that would bring any band countless, inescapable comparisons to Animal Collective.  But luckily, the songs that follow are anything but Animal Collective sounding.

“E-Sticker” and “Zookeeper” follow the opener and establish pretty quickly what you can expect from the rest of the album.  Fast paced, experimental, hip hop that I can safely say sounds like nothing I’ve heard in a long while.  “Giant Town” brings us back into that ambiant, other-worldly sound of the opener, but “Bone Hollow” jumps right back in and has you dancing around like a fool, still not sure what the heck you’re listening to.

Considering I randomly received this album in the mail and was blown away from the first listen, it goes without saying that you should go out of your way to check their new self-titled debut out asap.  Other stand-outs include “Villains”, “Digital Animal” (which has the most odd, yet catchy chorus around), and probably my favorite song on the album, “Ambulance”, which would crack my top 5 dance songs of ‘08 easily.

If you’re still on the fence whether you should check out Honey Claws, make sure to take some time out and digest the couple mp3’s I’ve posted.  “Shout Out” gives you a good idea of the Animal Collective side of the group, and “Ambulance” shows their unique hip hop side.  I simply love this album and all the weirdness that comes along with it, and while it may not your cup of tea for some of you, those who are looking for something refreshing and different in this oversaturated indie music scene, look no further than Honey Claws’ self-titled debut.  I’m making up my top 50 of ‘08 list as I type this, and I’m tempted more and more to put them really high on the list.  Top 10?  Perhaps, but top 20 for sure.  It’s that good.

Honey Claws
Honey Claws
Perch Score: 9.254

1. Shout Out [mp3]

2. E-sticker
3. Zookeeper
4. Giant Town
5. Bone Hollow
6. Apc
7. Frozen Chinchilla
8. Villains
9. Numbers On the Wall
10. Digital Animal
11. Ambulance [mp3]

12. Rational Beating
13. July
14. Animalssss

Bonus:
Shout Out (POSR Remix)

Official Site / Myspace / Honey Claws Interview