On their latest single, Yogyakarta-based indie rock trio Grrrl Gang trade the youthful immediacy typically associated with them for a sensitive sincerity. Delivering a more patient and mature sound that’s in equal parts dreamy and cathartic, Honey, Baby is a jangle anthem that soars.

Amalgamating jangly rhythm guitars, creamy overdriven leads, driving bass grooves, gorgeous harmonies the track’s production forms a lush backdrop for the crystal clear voice of vocalist/guitarist Angeeta Sentana. Wearing her heart on her sleeve, her intricate melodies manage to encapsulate the confusion and excitement that accompanies love ("You're the kind of guy that I've been dreamin' all my life/ You swept me off my feet/ And you crawl to me when you're neck-deep in madness/ I wear my dress and take you out”). With a genuinely catchy chorus (“You taste like honey, baby/ Everything that he isn’t/ You taste like honey, baby/ I would hate to see you go”), and sublimely gratifying key change at its end, the song’s elaborate songwriting manages to not hinder Grrrl Gang’s energy, and instead bring its way to a soaring conclusion.

If anything, it presents a step in the right direction towards a more exciting and mature sound for the band. Honey, Baby also has a tongue-in-cheek music video that documents a planned trip to Texas that never happened. Grrrl Gang were slated to play at SXSW 2020 just as the pandemic struck - effectively cancelling the trip and show. The music video presents an entertaining “what if” scenario – in the form of fake footage from the trip, actors stand in for the band, hilariously complete with “American” dive bars and “American” people all sourced and filmed in their home country of Indonesia. Even when robbed of the opportunity to play at SXSW, Grrrl Gang ignore their bummer in Honey, Baby’s fun, lively absurdity.

Check out the music video here:

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