Sons of Sevilla – “Drive By Honey”
Leeds-based sibling duo Henry and Rueben Vaun Smith, aka Sons of Sevilla, have returned to us with the alluring sounds of “Drive By Honey,” the first glimpse into their forthcoming LP It Could Be Today.
“Drive By Honey” is an intoxicating serving of modern psychedelia, opening with a mesmerizing electric guitar soaked in an ocean of spring reverb. This hypnotic two-chord ostinato is joined by light keys and ghostly slide guitar, sending listeners back to the late ’50s with a warm and vulnerable nod to Santo & Johnny’s “Sleep Walk.”
For the first minute of “Drive By Honey,” the rhythm is secured by percussive dead-note strums on the rhythm guitar, but this all changes after the one-minute mark, when the rhythm section arrives with vintage-tinged gusto. The overall production follows the duo’s recipe for crafting dreamlike drifts through emotional territories, and we would pay good money to tour their collection of analogue outboard gear.
Vocally, Rueben Vaun seduces us with a performance from the upper register, often traversing into a soft falsetto. Subtle vocal harmonies and doubles add additional texture, with lines from the slide guitar occasionally filling the space between lines of lyrics. “Drive By Honey” is, as the kids say, a vibe—if your spirit isn’t swaying by the time it breaks the fourth minute, check your pulse, then take it from the top.