The consensus about the new Deafheaven song is that it’s good, but that it’s more of the same, another exercise in the black metal/post-rock aesthetic of 2013’s Sunbather and 2015’s New Bermuda. In a sense this is true, but “Honeycomb” also seeks to blend the sounds of those two records: the fractured lightness and leaded buoyancy of Sunbather with the sludgy darkness, the more self-consciously “metalness” of New Bermuda. In order to get these ends to meet, “Honeycomb” traverses a wider range of styles, acting as a sort of kaleidoscopic mashup of heavy metal, black metal, post-rock, ‘90s indie rock, classic shoegaze… and even some gestures that sound pop-influenced. These ideas aren’t layered on top of each other, but, rather, they happen sequentially, making “Honeycomb” one of the most nimble and versatile tracks of Deafheaven’s wild journey. If what comes next is also “more of the same,” Ordinary Corrupt Human Love, due July 13 on Anti-, could be an incredibly good record.
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