REVIEW: Honey Revenge - Loving and Losing
HONEY REVENGE have always known how to make complicated feelings sound deceptively fun. Since Retrovision, the Los Angeles duo have built a world where glossy pop hooks collide with messy emotions, turning anxiety, jealousy and heartbreak into something you can dance to. On Loving and Losing, vocalist Devin Papadol and guitarist Donny Lloyd take that formula and make it bigger, brighter and more ambitious without losing the immediacy that made them so infectious in the first place. The result is an album that sounds like therapy conducted underneath a disco ball.
From the opening seconds of Technicolor, HONEY REVENGE make their intentions clear. Funky guitar lines, polished production and Papadol’s effortlessly catchy vocals create an instant rush of colour. It’s impossible not to move with it, but beneath the sugar sits something more vulnerable. HONEY REVENGE aren’t pretending everything is perfect; they’re simply finding increasingly creative ways to have fun while everything falls apart. Run Your Mouth turns irritation into an irresistible bounce, while Sunday Scaries captures that familiar Sunday night dread and transforms it into a pop rock party. There’s something wonderfully self aware about the track’s attempt to outrun anxiety by squeezing every last drop from the weekend. It feels nostalgic without becoming trapped in the past, recalling those moments when loud music and questionable decisions could temporarily make tomorrow somebody else’s problem.
That playful darkness continues through Poison Apple Baby, where glitchy textures and punchy guitars add a slightly sinister edge. It’s a reminder that the ‘honey’ has never completely swallowed the ‘revenge’. Meanwhile Hot Commodity arrives with a swaggering confidence, sounding like the musical equivalent of finally deciding to stop caring what everybody else thinks.
But beneath the bright production, Loving And Losing is ultimately concerned with insecurity. Jealousy Monster turns the mirror inward, confronting the uglier side of comparison and self doubt, while Trust Issues explores what happens when the person you struggle to believe most is yourself. The cleverness lies in how rarely these heavier subjects are allowed to drag the album down. Instead, they become fuel for huge melodies and relentlessly catchy choruses.
Sorry Much continues that balancing act, pairing polished pop instincts with an emotional sting, before Freaks of Nature keeps the momentum racing forward. Risk brings some extra guitar muscle into the mix, ensuring that the record’s pop sensibilities never completely smooth away its rockier edges. By the time Butterfly Effect arrives, the album’s themes begin to connect. Fate, control and the unpredictable consequences of seemingly insignificant choices sit at the heart of the track, reflecting a record preoccupied with change. Sometimes things fall apart without a satisfying explanation; sometimes all you can do is accept the chaos and keep moving.
Superstitious and Inevitable continue that journey, showcasing a duo increasingly comfortable stretching beyond their established sound. There’s more experimentation here, but never at the expense of what HONEY REVENGE do best: writing songs that lodge themselves in your head almost immediately.
Then comes the title track.
After thirteen songs packed with colour, movement and glossy production, Loving And Losing strips everything back. Acoustic guitar replaces the dancefloor, leaving Papadol’s vocals exposed and allowing the emotional weight of the album to finally settle. It’s a surprisingly vulnerable ending, but one that feels completely earned. After spending the record learning how to dance through difficult feelings, HONEY REVENGE finally allow themselves to sit with them.
That’s what makes Loving and Losing so effective. HONEY REVENGE haven’t abandoned the formula that made Retrovision work; they’ve grown into it. The anxiety remains. The heartbreak remains. The self-doubt remains. But alongside all of it is a greater sense of acceptance. This is pop rock that refuses to apologise for being fun while still taking its emotions seriously. It’s colourful, chaotic, occasionally bittersweet and almost impossible to resist. Most importantly, it understands that healing doesn’t always have to look profound. Sometimes it looks like putting on something sparkly, turning the volume up and dancing until everything feels a little bit smaller.
Score: 9/10
Loving and Losing will be released on 18th September 2026 via Thriller Records.
Words: Angel Turley
Photos: Honey Revenge
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