Los Angeles, USA-based singer songwriter Melissa Trinchere, who performs as Sloe Honey, has featured once before on our blog. Last month, I ran the rule over her single Torch. The song features on her new album all about all aspects of love. It’s called Lovesick.
By Graeme Smith
Feature photo by Anna Azarov
Melissa is a self-confessed love addict and Lovesick is a collection of love songs, including tales of the unrequited variety, blissful fantasies and even a confession or two about celebrity crushes. That might sound like too much of a good thing, but in this collection, Melissa provides a good amount of texture, light and dark to keep things interesting.
The album opens with Stuck On You. A delicate track, it combines classical and R&B elements to create something that feels very fresh. The star of the show is Melissa’s smooth and compelling vocals. Honey by name, honey by nature, Melissa’s voice is a sweet and soothing balm.
Title track Lovesick gives us a darker side of love, capturing the moment that love turns sour and needs to be left behind. I’m Not Sorry is a French-infused dreamy story of empowerment after surviving an abusive relationship. Somewhere in Between rounds off the first half of the album with a sexually-charged vignette.
Miles Away From Here kicks off the album’s second half with melancholic R&B and a story of struggling to leave a difficult relationship. Tryst, inspired by Agnes Obel’s Familiar, gives a more haunting and folky side of the Sloe Honey sound. The aforementioned Torch keeps things folky, and brings a cantering, traditional yet experimental arrangement. Shackles And Chains ends the album with a powerful duet featuring Max Runham.
With Lovesick, Sloe Honey has bravely and expertly delved deep into a single topic and made so much of it. Her song writing is strong, and the emotion of her compositions even stronger. If you’re looking to have your heartstrings tugged today, you need look no further than this album.
Lovesick was co-produced by Sloe Honey, Guiseppe D. and Claudia Mills, who also did the mixing. Elliot James Mulhern is the mastering engineer. You can give the album a listen below.
