Last Minute Plans: 2:54 And Honeyblood At Empty Bottle Tonight

By Casey Moffitt in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 5, 2015 4:30PM

Empty Bottle is playing host to to a dynamic duo of UK acts tonight as 2:54 and Honeyblood are ready to rock with their very different styles.

Londoner sisters Colette and Hannah Thurlow are the brains behind 2:54, touring the U.S. for the first time since 2012. On their latest effort, The Other I, 2:54 leaves a lot of space in the songs, creating an airy, almost nebulous feel. Guitar lines float near aimlessly throughout the album accompanied by keyboard embellishments. The songs easily could escape any kind of form or structure if it weren't for a couple of key elements.

First is Colette Thurlow's groovy singing voice. It's a bit subdued, but the melodies created by her voice work as a focal point to grab your attention. This isn't particularly unusual in this form of music, but her distant—if not detached—voice is intriguing enough to to keep your ears glued to the hi-fi.

The other key is drummer Alex Robins work behind the kit. He's a tricky drummer, playing some pretty intricate syncopated rhythms with his hands. His bass drum foot, however, is rock steady and provides fat beat that can move your feet. It should be a pleasure to watch him work.

You'll hear a lot of shoegazer influence in 2:54, and there are hints of early Cure in there as well.

This is quite a counterpoint to Glasgow's Honeyblood— a guitar/drum duo that can spit bile and vinegar with very direct, tightly written tunes.

The band's self-titled debut is full of punchy songs featuring layers upon layers of guitars. The tones on each layer are very different, from fuzzy to clean to crunchy. They add depth to what could be a rather thin sound with such bare instrumentation. These layers create a thick-as-pea-soup sound where you can get lost.

It kind of makes us wonder how Honeyblood will be able to replicate that sound on stage. They could take the route of making it noisy with multiple amps at work. It would do the trick, but the distinct layers we hear on the album wouldn't shine as prominently.

However, Honeyblood also has a dynamite singer in Stina Tweeddale whose hooks and melodies easily carry these songs. She uses her guitar strictly to hold down the rhythm with drummer Cat Myers allowing her voice to rise above the ruckus with little interference.

Honeyblood can get a little nasty. Tweeddale bellows "I will hate you forever" in "Super Rat." It isn't very elegant but it leaves little room for misinterpretation. Her voice is so gorgeous, lacking any kind of real sneer or sarcasm, that if we didn't understand English it might sound complimentary. In many ways her voice works better when the band dips into more rootsy songs like "(I'd Rather Be) Anywhere But Here" or "Bud."

So why not wrap up your fish and chips in some newspaper, take it to The Empty Bottle and check out what's going on over in the United Kingdom other than another royal baby watch.

2:54 and Honeyblood perform tonight, March 5, at The Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave., 9 p.m., $10, 21+