I can’t believe Blanche Blanche Blanche finally have decided to hang up their quirkiness after a scant few years and a shitload of albums under their belts. But hey, every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end, right? Isn’t that what “Closing Time” taught us? Have I lost you all this early in the game, before I can even tell you about the shiny new VIDEO PREMIERE I have for you? That would be a shame because “Honeycomb” is a visual marvel, the eye-candy equivalent to three milkshakes, consumed via pixie straws, a bucket of Haribo gummies, and one seven-pound Sour Patch Kid. The cut-and-paste nature of it appeals to my DIY-ethic side, while the bright colors and cheeky images sidle up to the kid in me and say, “Heya!”
It’s instantly apparent how much Blanche have changed since that first single on Feeding Tube (which I covered on TMT Cerberus, mind you) years ago. I don’t hear the original BBB singer in this one (CORRECTION: It is, indeed, Sarah Smith, ‘the original BBB singer,’ so… my ears do be deceiving me!), and I’m of course curious about that, but either-way this is quintessential fodder for the few-and-far-between mega-Blanchers out there, save for the no-synthies rule and the lack of drums and… FUCK is this even Blanche Blanche Blanche at all? Were they who I thought they were? Did they ever exist? Am I going to spend this entire Choco post asking questions of no one? Look, I’m not trying to heighten the confusion by hitting you with a barrage of questions, it’s just that BBB threw a real curveball into my favorite cereal with this one. Other than the guitar comping and detached vocals, it’s tough to find purchase, a Chinese finger trap for the ear, if you will.
But don’t be afraid to give “Honeycomb” a few views/listens, as it’s tough to get a handle on things in a minute and change. You’ve got to really invest in this thing if you want the full effect. Live in it a little, soak in the syrupy sugars, and grow fat from them. SUCK, SUCK, SUCK all the life from it you can. All I’ve got for you is one last question: We good?
“Honeycomb” is off Blanche Blanche Blanche’s “final record,” Hints To Pilgrims, which is available NOW on OSR Tapes.
• OSR Tapes: http://osr-tapes.com
