Ten years ago, Portishead opened the floodgates for a number of groups trying to imitate “the Bristol sound”, which made for some pretty good records from acts like Mono, Sneaker Pimps, Hooverphonic, Morcheeba, and others, each with their own take on the style. Ten years later, as the sound of cool is redefined by people like Dan The Automator and Danger Mouse, with their respective Gorillaz and Gnarls Barkley projects, it happens again. Today’s new brand of “trip-pop” might be easier defined as “rock guy sings over hardcore hip-hop beats”, just ask acts like Mike Patton’s Peeping Tom, or Quannum’s new signing, Honeycut. 

       Definitely not biting from anyone else, Honeycut’s contribution to this new breed of artists is welcomed with open arms, with a style all their own. The group is made up of three members.  Experimental beat-maker, RV Salters, whom some might recognize as the driving force behind last year’s Quannum instrumentalist project General Elektriks; SF indie rock vocalist, Bart Davenport (formerly of The Loved Ones); and drummer/deejay Tony Sevener.

       Drawing influence from classic hip-hop producers, it could easily be Hieroglyphics rapping over any of these beats. The album begins with the title track, “The Day I Turned To Glass”, which finds Davenport delivering sarcastic, bluesy lyrics over an apocalyptic keyboard beat. The catchy “Tough Kid” follows, where he kicks his vocal pitch up a notch, over a bouncy bass-driven track that might make RJD2 raise an eyebrow. Continuing to shift styles, the producers employ raw guitar licks and symphonic strings on the paranoid “Shadows”, while slowing things down with sultry bossa-nova piece, “Butter Room”, sure to charm the panties off any female listener. 

      Much like on Kanye West’s Late Registration, the use of strings and other live instrumentation is really what separates the production from being just normal run-of-the-mill hip-hop beats. The choppy, robotic feel of “Dysfunctional” – a duet with vocalist Helene Renaut – is given much fuller sound thanks to it’s cello climax. The same could be said for the slow seductive sounds of “Silky”, which also is accompanied by live violins by John Ettinger (who also adds his flavor to the aforementioned “Butter Room”). By the time the funky swagger and marching drums of “Crowded Avenue” hit, you are sold on the record, and the closer, “Fallen To Greed”, a bittersweet parable about war profiteering, hits the ball out of the park. 

     Whether or not the mainstream will embrace Honeycut remains to be seen, as there aren’t animated cartoon characters or colorful frontmen plastered all over the record. But one thing is for sure, anyone with a diverse musical ear or just plain appreciation for classic hip-hop production, will enjoy this record.