Instantly stepping into a dissonant riff, “Kite Balloons” kicks off Honey Radar’s fifth full-length album, Ruby Puff Of Dust, which was released via What's Your Rupture?. The ragged, guitar-fueled inferno momentarily subsides with the vocals serving as a gentle, guiding, cooling agent. That mixture of unrestrained fire and its refreshing counterpart exhibits control within the chaotic setting, before “Tick Tock” rhythmically revs its engines and then snaps into gear with the crack of the snare. A continuous march forward gradually shifts and amplifies in intensity, as mastermind Jason Henn narrates an oddly intriguing scene. “Curve-less doctors cover you in spit. Don’t let anybody know it.”

However, a subdued softness marinates in “Song For Randolph Free”. Walking along a dusty, time-worn trail, there’s a memorable, conversational closeness that takes a personal look, before allowing the muscularity of guitar to round out the moment, supporting action to take the place of words. The wheel aggressively rolls on as “Carousel Society” instrumentally opens up. A pleasant yet cautionary tone is echoed in the lyrics. “All is good for you and me, let’s help the world enter the sun.” The track demonstrates the ability to stir and soothe, fading away before reviving into a gritty, groovin’ stomp.

While “Almanac Singer” enchants in a poetic prose haze, encircled by the hard-driving electric spark plug of instrumentation, one meanders slowly toward “Magnesium Blow-Up,” which is already in progress, with the decibel level subsequently rising. Loosely held together, a hypnotic heaviness gradually spins outward into the distance, returning and completing its cycle in acoustic form. “Smoking Boy” jumps out of the box, driven by the entanglement of steadily popping drums and wiry guitar, as the vocals etch a tunnel through the center, before drifting into the unknown as the song subsides.

“The Golden String” concludes this collection of garage-psych vignettes, with its slightly off-kilter, mystical haziness. It rides along and then goes off-roading, twisting ever further into unknown. While proving to be Honey Radar’s most pop-oriented record, Henn and company still manage to pack in plenty of surprises. – Michael Colavita 

Honey Radar's fifth full-length album, Ruby Puff Of Dust, is out now via What's Your Rupture?. Smoky, fuzz-forward, garage-psych emanates from the recordings. Enveloped in a tranquilizing haze, one’s mind hypnotically floats amid the clouds, yet a certain rawness remains. Just rememeber to puff-puff-pass.

Honey Radar recently dropped the lead single featured on its forthcoming album, Ruby Puff Of Dust, which is scheduled to arrive via What's Your Rupture?. Contrasting the immediate grit and fire of guitar with the composed chillness of the vocals, “Kite Balloons” takes us on a heady excursion. That fuzzy, foggy combination is just the right complement for when you're lost in the clouds. On Tuesday, June 28 at Boot & Saddle, you can catch Honey Radar on a rad lineup, presented by WKDU, that also includes Control Top & Lithics.

Honey Radar’s lo-fi poetics are mesmerizing, gritty, and blunt. Raspy drums, straightforward riffs, and Jason Henn’s steady diction make the melody of each track feel urgent, a characteristic that effortlessly stitch cuts like “Pinwheel” and “Pan Music” into the memory of listeners. Much like 2016’s Black Cartoon, Honey Badar’s recent 7-inch Psychic Cruise feels like a subtle psych homage to indie icons like Guided by Voices, infused with the contemplative reverie of The Brian Jonestown Massacre.

Opening with “Untitled Fox,” the EP’s first anthem is delectably retro without being blindsided by sheer nostalgia. Tambourine, guitar, and the swagger of Henn’s vocals foster a sense of latent awareness, intertwined with nonchalance. Brief yet notable, the track sets the tone for Psychic Cruise’s progression, ushering its audience deeper into the labyrinth of the songwriter’s kaleidoscopic yet audibly muted visions.

“Knocked Out” brings to mind Yellow Fever’s “Psychedelic” or a cleaner sharper foil to Spacin’s “Ego-go.” Its persistent chords and rhythm become the prelude to Henn’s subdued yet alluring croons. “Psychic Cruise,” the 7-inch’s titular anthem, is cinematic in a washed-out, dreamy way that brings to mind the garage-y thrill of Bleached’s “No Friend of Mind” or earworms like L.A. Witch’s “Get Lost.” The amalgamation of Henn’s voice and the hiss of snare result in a short yet vivid portrait of wanderlust as metaphor.

With equal concision, Honey Radar’s “Medium Mary Todd” unfolds without hesitation, allowing the swell of buzzing guitar to cast a spell of sorts, making the recording feel like a vision or a rock ‘n’ roll fever dream. The track channels the atmospheric mood of Far-Out Fangtooth and the frenetic energy of Jay Reatard’s softest interior. The perfect primer to Psychic Cruise’s final track, “Medium Mary Todd” keeps the tempo and mood of the 7-inch’s end palpably visceral. As “Moon Director” begins, fuzzy riffs and cymbals cultivate a layer of swirling sounds that force the audience to listen closer as a nearly instrumental end collides with clips of conversation and would-be transmissions. In its final moments “Moon Director” feels more like a commentary on communication than an homage to mankind’s achievements, perhaps suggesting that progress often times coincides with chaos.

Easy to consume in one sitting, yet difficult to dismiss, Psychic Cruise is a salve for the listless. These songs will reel you in. – Dianca London

Still not really ready to deal with Monday yet? Feel free to phone it in today, and chill the fuck out to the carefree vignettes of Honey Radar's Psychic Cruise. The new EP from the lo-fi, Jason Henn-led project is out now via Atlanta's Chunklet Industries. You can catch Henn and the gang opening for No Age on Thursday, May 3 at the First Unitarian Church.