8/10

After releasing their much-praised self-titled debut album in 2018, Black Honey established themselves as one of the more exciting names emerging that year. With a firm and solid sound that saw them reinvent many's expectation of the female-fronted band direction, it gave them a mighty platform to build from without boxing them into to any particular aesthetic or intention. Now after a few years to tweak and double-down on what worked for them the first time around, they return with their sophomore LP 'Written & Directed', a record that shows that they are more captivating than ever.

Clearly making several nods to film director Quentin Tarantino throughout this release, including the title itself and tracks such as 'I Like The Way You Die', 'Written & Directed' looks to bring that non-commercial but truly intoxicating vibe he is known to bring to his film soundtracks and repurpose it for their own gain. The result is almost this spaghetti western approach to songwriting where they look to create an almost over-the-top but extremely cinematic style that fits their own progressive guise, something that we always knew was in them but hasn't fully surfaced until now.

While their debut certainly gave them the name recognition they deserve, 'Written & Directed' feels like a far more comfortable sound for them to pursue. There is this consistent energy and pace running through it, which seems to leave you eager to find out where they will go next after each track. Something we rarely get to feel when listening to new music.